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arXiv:0711.0137

Comment on ``Time-dependent quasi-Hermitian Hamiltonians and the unitary quantum evolution''

Mostafazadeh, Ali

Published Nov 1, 2007• 7 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

In arXiv:0710.5653v1 M. Znojil claims that he has found and corrected an error in my paper: [Phys. Lett. B \textbf{650}, 208 (2007), arXiv:0706.1872v2] and that it is possible to escape its main conclusion, namely that the unitarity of the time-evolution and observability of the Hamiltonian imply time-independence of the metric operator. In this note I give a very short calculation showing that the analysis given by M. Znojil also leads to the same conclusion as of my above-mentioned paper. This is actually a reconfirmation of the validity of the results of the latter paper.

DOI
10.48550/arxiv.0711.0137

Related papers

Reply to Comment on ``Time-dependent quasi-Hermitian Hamiltonians and the unitary quantum evolution''

Miloslav Znojil

In his fresh "Comment" (arXiv:0711.0137v1), A. Mostafazadeh reacts on my very recent letter (arXiv:0710.5653v1) where I tried to clarify certain misunderstandings which occurred in A. M., Phys. Lett. B \textbf{650}, 208 (2007) [arXiv:0706.1872v2, "Paper"]. As long as the "Comment" offers a new support of the original assertions made in the "Paper", I feel obliged to re-clarify the matter by extending my argumentation. I insist that it is possible to escape the main conclusion of the "Paper", indeed. In particular, I point out a gap in the new calculations in "Comment", add a few remarks on the notation and reconfirm that the unitarity of the time-evolution DOES NOT require the time-independence of the metric operator.

arXiv:0711.0514•Nov 5, 2007•6 citations

Comment on "Reply to Comment on Time-dependent Quasi-Hermitian Hamiltonians and the Unitary Quantum Evolution"

Mostafazadeh, Ali

I point out that if one defines the operator $U_R(t)$ as done by M. Znojil in his reply [arXiv:0711.0514v1] to my comment [arXiv:0711.0137v1] and also accepts the validity of the defining relation of $U_R(t)$ as given in his paper [arXiv:0710.5653v1], one finds that the time-evolution of the associated quantum system is not governed by the Schrödinger equation for the Hamiltonian operator $H$ but an operator $H'$ which differs from $H$ if the metric operator is time-dependent. In the latter case this effective Hamiltonian $H'$ is not observable. This is consistent with the conclusions of my paper [Phys. Lett. B 650, 208 (2007), arXiv:0706.1872v2] which allow for unitary time-evolution generated by unobservable Hamiltonians.

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We show that the consequences of an introduction of a manifest time-dependence in a pseudo-Hermitian Hamiltonian H=H(t) are by far less drastic than suggested by A. Mostafazadeh in Phys. Lett. B 650 (2007) 208 (arXiv:0706.1872v2 [quant-ph]). In particular, the unitarity of the evolution does not necessitate the time-independence of the metric $η_+=η_+(t)$.

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In arXiv:0710.5653v1 M. Znojil claims that he has found and corrected an error in my paper: [Phys. Lett. B \textbf{650}, 208 (2007), arXiv:0706.1872v2] and that it is possible to escape its main conclusion, namely that the unitarity of the time-evolution and observability of the Hamiltonian imply time-independence of the metric operator. In this note I give a very short calculation showing that the analysis given by M. Znojil also leads to the same conclusion as of my above-mentioned paper. This is actually a reconfirmation of the validity of the results of the latter paper.
In his fresh "Comment" (arXiv:0711.0137v1), A. Mostafazadeh reacts on my very recent letter (arXiv:0710.5653v1) where I tried to clarify certain misunderstandings which occurred in A. M., Phys. Lett. B \textbf{650}, 208 (2007) [arXiv:0706.1872v2, "Paper"]. As long as the "Comment" offers a new support of the original assertions made in the "Paper", I feel obliged to re-clarify the matter by extending my argumentation. I insist that it is possible to escape the main conclusion of the "Paper", indeed. In particular, I point out a gap in the new calculations in "Comment", add a few remarks on the notation and reconfirm that the unitarity of the time-evolution DOES NOT require the time-independence of the metric operator.
I point out that if one defines the operator UR(t)U_R(t)UR​(t) as done by M. Znojil in his reply [arXiv:0711.0514v1] to my comment [arXiv:0711.0137v1] and also accepts the validity of the defining relation of UR(t)U_R(t)UR​(t) as given in his paper [arXiv:0710.5653v1], one finds that the time-evolution of the associated quantum system is not governed by the Schrödinger equation for the Hamiltonian operator HHH but an operator H′H'H′ which differs from HHH if the metric operator is time-dependent. In the latter case this effective Hamiltonian H′H'H′ is not observable. This is consistent with the conclusions of my paper [Phys. Lett. B 650, 208 (2007), arXiv:0706.1872v2] which allow for unitary time-evolution generated by unobservable Hamiltonians.
We show that the consequences of an introduction of a manifest time-dependence in a pseudo-Hermitian Hamiltonian H=H(t) are by far less drastic than suggested by A. Mostafazadeh in Phys. Lett. B 650 (2007) 208 (arXiv:0706.1872v2 [quant-ph]). In particular, the unitarity of the evolution does not necessitate the time-independence of the metric η+=η+(t)η_+=η_+(t)η+​=η+​(t).
It has been argued that it is incompatible to maintain unitary time evolution for time-dependent non-Hermitian Hamiltonians when the metric operator is explicitly time dependent. We demonstrate here that the time-dependent Dyson equation and the time-dependent quasi-Hermiticity relation can be solved consistently in such a scenario for a time-dependent Dyson map and time-dependent metric operator, respectively. These solutions are obtained at the cost of rendering the non-Hermitian Hamiltonian to be a nonobservable operator as it ceases to be quasi-Hermitian when the metric becomes time dependent.
We propose a scheme to deal with certain time-dependent non-Hermitian Hamiltonian operators H(t)H(t)H(t) that generate a real phase in their time-evolution. This involves the use of invariant operators IPH(t)I_{PH}(t)IPH​(t) that are pseudo-Hermitian with respect to the time-dependent metric operator and which implies that the dynamics is governed by unitary time evolution. Furthermore, H(t)H(t)H(t) is not generally quasi-Hermitian and does not define an observable of the system but IPH(t)I_{PH}(t)IPH​(t) obeys a quasi-hermiticity transformation as in the completely time-independent Hamiltonian systems case. The harmonic oscillator with a time-dependent frequency under the action of a complex time-dependent linear potential is considered as an illustrative example.
A non-Hermitian operator H defined in a Hilbert space with inner product ⟨ · | · ⟩ may serve as the Hamiltonian for a unitary quantum system if it is η -pseudo-Hermitian for a metric operator (positive-definite automorphism) η . The latter defines the inner product ⟨ · | η · ⟩ of the physical Hilbert space H η of the system. For situations where some of the eigenstates of H depend on time, η becomes time-dependent. Therefore, the system has a non-stationary Hilbert space. Such quantum systems, which are also encountered in the study of quantum mechanics in cosmological backgrounds, suffer from a conflict between the unitarity of time evolution and the unobservability of the Hamiltonian. Their proper treatment requires a geometric framework which clarifies the notion of the energy observable and leads to a geometric extension of quantum mechanics (GEQM). We provide a general introduction to the subject, review some of the recent developments, offer a straightforward description of the Heisenberg-picture formulation of the dynamics for quantum systems having a time-dependent Hilbert space, and outline the Heisenberg-picture formulation of dynamics in GEQM.