Variational cluster approach to correlated electron systems in low dimensions

A self-energy-functional approach is applied to construct cluster approximations for correlated lattice models. It turns out that the cluster-perturbation theory (Senechal et al, PRL 84, 522 (2000)) and the cellular dynamical mean-field theory (Kotliar et al, PRL 87, 186401 (2001)) are limiting cases of a more general cluster method. Results for the one-dimensional Hubbard model are discussed with regard to boundary conditions, bath degrees of freedom and cluster size.