  The time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) is the leading
computationally feasible theory to treat excitations by strong electromagnetic
fields. Here the theory is applied to coherent optical phonon generation
produced by intense laser pulses. We examine the process in the crystalline
semimetal antimony (Sb), where nonadiabatic coupling is very important. This
material is of particular interest because it exhibits strong phonon coupling
and optical phonons of different symmetries can be observed. The TDDFT is able
to account for a number of qualitative features of the observed coherent
phonons, despite its unsatisfactory performance on reproducing the observed
dielectric functions of Sb. A simple dielectric model for nonadiabatic coherent
phonon generation is also examined and compared with the TDDFT calculations.
