For ordinary hermitian Hamiltonians, the states show the Kramers degeneracy when the system has a half-odd-integer spin and the time reversal operator obeys \Theta^2=-1, but no such a degeneracy exists when \Theta^2=+1. Here we point out that for non-hermitian systems, there exists a degeneracy similar to Kramers even when \Theta^2=+1. It is found that the new degeneracy follows from the mathematical structure of split-quaternion, instead of quaternion from which the Kramers degeneracy follows in the usual hermitian cases. Furthermore, we also show that particle/hole symmetry gives rise to a pair of states with opposite energies on the basis of the split quaternion in a class of non-hermitian Hamiltonians. As concrete examples, we examine in detail NxN Hamiltonians with N=2 and 4 which are non-hermitian generalizations of spin 1/2 Hamiltonian and quadrupole Hamiltonian of spin 3/2, respectively.
Kramers' theorem ensures double degeneracy in the energy spectrum of a time-reversal symmetric fermionic system with half-integer total spin. Here, we are trying to go beyond the closed system and discuss Kramers' degeneracy in open systems out of equilibrium. A natural way to extend the Kramers' degeneracy in open quantum systems is by the degeneracy of different spins' spectra together with the vanishing interspin spectrum. We find the violation of Kramers' degeneracy in time-reversal symmetric open quantum systems is locked with whether the system reaches thermal equilibrium. After a general coupling to an environment in a time-reversal symmetry-preserving way, the Kramers doublet experiences an energy splitting at a short time and then a recovery process. We verified the violation and revival of Kramers' degeneracy in a concrete model of interacting fermions and we find Kramers' degeneracy is restored after the local thermalization time. By contrast, for time-reversal symmetry $\stackrel{\ifmmode \tilde{}\else \~{}\fi{}}{\mathcal{T}}$ with ${\stackrel{\ifmmode \tilde{}\else \~{}\fi{}}{\mathcal{T}}}^{2}=1$, we find that although there is a violation and revival of spectral degeneracy for different spins, the inter-spin spectral function is always nonzero. We also prove that the degeneracy in spectral function protected by unitary symmetry can always be maintained.
For ordinary Hermitian Hamiltonians, the states support the mathematical structure of quaternion and show the Kramers degeneracy when the system has a half-odd-integer spin and the time-reversal operator obeys Θ 2 = -1, while no such structure exists when Θ 2 = +1.Here, we point out that for non-Hermitian systems, there exists a similar mathematical structure called split-quaternion even when Θ 2 = +1.It is also found that a degeneracy similar to the Kramers degeneracy follows from the split-quaternion structure if the Hamiltonian is pseudo-Hermitian with the metric operator η satisfying {η, Θ} = 0. Furthermore, we show that particle/hole symmetry gives rise to a pair of states with opposite energies on the basis of the split-quaternion in a class of non-Hermitian Hamiltonians.As concrete examples, we examine in detail N × N Hamiltonians with N = 2 and 4, which are non-Hermitian generalizations of spin 1/2 Hamiltonian and quadrupole Hamiltonian of spin 3/2, respectively.
In a recent paper [M. Sato, K. Hasebe, K. Esaki, and M. Kohmoto, Prog. Theor. Phys. 127, 937 (2012)] Sato and his collaborators established a generalization of the Kramers degeneracy structure to pseudo-Hermitian Hamiltonian systems, admitting even time-reversal symmetry, |
T2=1|. This extension is achieved using the mathematical structure of split-quaternions instead of quaternions, usually adopted in the case of Hermitian Hamiltonians with odd time-reversal symmetry, |
T2=−1|. Here we find that the metric operator for the pseudo-Hermitian Hamiltonian |
H| that allows the realization of the generalized Kramers degeneracy is necessarily indefinite. We show that such |
H| with real spectrum also possesses odd antilinear symmetry induced from the existing odd time-reversal symmetry of its Hermitian counterpart |
h|, so that the generalized Kramers degeneracy of |
H| is in fact crypto-Hermitian Kramers degeneracy. We study in greater detail a new example of the pseudo-Hermitian split-quaternionic four-level Hamiltonian system, which admits an indefinite metric operator and time-reversal symmetry and, as a consequence, a generalized Kramers degeneracy structure. We provide a complete solution of the eigenvalue problem, construct pseudo-Hermitian ladder operators closing the normal and abnormal pseudo-fermionic algebras, and show that this system fulfills a crypto-Hermitian degeneracy.
We formulate quantum mechanics for non-Hermitian Hamiltonians that are invariant under
PT, where
P is the parity and
T denotes time reversal, for the case that time-reversal symmetry is odd (${\mathcal{T}}^{2}=\ensuremath{-}1$), generalizing prior work for the even case (
T2=1). We discover an analog of Kramer's theorem for
PT quantum mechanics, present a prototypical example of a
PT quantum system with odd time reversal, and discuss potential applications of the formalism.
In this chapter we discuss the properties of the time-reversal operator (introduced into quantum mechanics by Wigner in 1932) for particles without spin, as well as taking into account the spin. There are given Wigner criteria ( a ), ( b ), and ( c ) concerning the absence or presence of an additional degeneracy of energy levels due to the symmetry with respect to time reversal, both in the case when the spin of particles that form the quantum system is taken into account and in the case it is not. Wigner corepresentations of symmetry groups associated with the presence of time-reversal symmetry are also discussed.