Phase factor from basis function symmetry

The classical formalism quantifies the above observations by assuming that both the ground-state wave functions and the excited state wave function can be written in terms of antisymmetrized product wave functions in which the basis functions are the presumed known wave functions of the isolated molecules. The requirements of translational symmetry lead to an excited state wave function in which product wave functions representing localized excitations are combined linearly, each being modulated by a phase factor exp (ik / ,) where k is the exciton wave vector and Rt describes the location of the ith lattice site. When there are several molecules in the unit cell, the crystal symmetry imposes further transformation properties on the wave function of the excited state. Using group theory, appropriate linear combinations of the localized excitations may be found and then these are combined with the phase factor representing translational symmetry to obtain the crystal wave function for the excited state. The application of perturbation theory then leads to the E/k dependence for the exciton. It is found that the crystal absorption spectrum differs from that of the free molecule as follows ... 

For a linear molecule, the position of the symmetry axis (the molecule-fixed. z-axis) in space is specified by only two Euler angles, / and 7, which are respectively identical to the spherical polar coordinates 6 and (see Fig. 2.4). The third Euler angle, a, which specifies the orientation of the molecule-fixed x- and y-axes, is unaffected by molecular rotation but appears explicitly as an O- dependent phase factor in the rotational basis functions [Eq. (2.3.41)]. Cartesian coordinates in space- and molecule-fixed systems are related by the geometrical transformation represented by the 3x3 direction cosine matrix (Wilson et al., 1980, p. 286). The direction cosine matrix a given by Hougen (1970, p. 18) is obtained by setting a = 7t/2 (notation of Wilson et al, 1980 6 fi,4)=, x = oi 7t/2). The direction cosine matrix is expressed in terms of sines and cosines of 9 and 4>. Matrix elements (J M O la JMQ), evaluated in the JMQ) basis, of the direction cosines, are expressed in terms of the J, M, and quantum numbers. The direction cosine matrix elements of Hougen (1970, p. 31), Townes and Schawlow (1955, p. 96), and Table 2.1 assume the basis set definition derived from Eq. (2.3.40) and the phase choice a = 7t/2 ... 

The one-electron Hamiltonian and, by implication, the Hartree-Fock matrices should have the symmetry of the molecule matrix elements between basis functions which are related by the symmetry operations of the molecule might reasonably be expected to be identical (apart from a phase factor, usually just a sign). This, of course, presumes that item 1 above holds. 

---