We propose giving the mathematical concept of the pseudospectrum a central role in quantum mechanics with non-Hermitian operators. We relate pseudospectral properties to quasi-Hermiticity, similarity to self-adjoint operators, and basis properties of eigenfunctions. The abstract results are illustrated by unexpected wild properties of operators familiar from PT-symmetric quantum mechanics.
We propose giving the mathematical concept of the pseudospectrum a central role in quantum mechanics with non-Hermitian operators. We relate pseudospectral properties to quasi-Hermiticity, similarity to self-adjoint operators, and basis properties of eigenfunctions. The abstract results are illustrated by unexpected wild properties of operators familiar from PT-symmetric quantum mechanics.
For a non-Hermitian Hamiltonian H possessing a real spectrum, we introduce a canonical orthonormal basis in which a previously introduced unitary mapping of H to a Hermitian Hamiltonian h takes a simple form. We use this basis to construct the observables O α of the quantum mechanics based on H . In particular, we introduce pseudo-Hermitian position and momentum operators and a pseudo-Hermitian quantization scheme that relates the latter to the ordinary classical position and momentum observables. These allow us to address the problem of determining the conserved probability density and the underlying classical system for pseudo-Hermitian and in particular PT -symmetric quantum systems. As a concrete example we construct the Hermitian Hamiltonian h , the physical observables O α , the localized states and the conserved probability density for the non-Hermitian PT -symmetric square well. We achieve this by employing an appropriate perturbation scheme. For this system, we conduct a comprehensive study of both the kinematical and dynamical effects of the non-Hermiticity of the Hamiltonian on various physical quantities. In particular, we show that these effects are quantum mechanical in nature and diminish in the classical limit. Our results provide an objective assessment of the physical aspects of PT -symmetric quantum mechanics and clarify its relationship with both conventional quantum mechanics and classical mechanics.
In most introductory courses on quantum mechanics one is taught that the Hamiltonian operator must be Hermitian in order that the energy levels be real and that the theory be unitary (probability conserving). To express the Hermiticity of a Hamiltonian, one writes H = H †, where the symbol † denotes the usual Dirac Hermitian conjugation; that is, transpose and complex conjugate. In the past few years it has been recognized that the requirement of Hermiticity, which is often stated as an axiom of quantum mechanics, may be replaced by the less mathematical and more physical requirement of space – time reflection symmetry (𝒫𝒯 symmetry) without losing any of the essential physical features of quantum mechanics. Theories defined by non-Hermitian 𝒫𝒯-symmetric Hamiltonians exhibit strange and unexpected properties at the classical as well as at the quantum level. This paper explains how the requirement of Hermiticity can be evaded and discusses the properties of some non-Hermitian 𝒫𝒯-symmetric quantum theories.
In this thesis, we study whether the rigged Hilbert space formulation of Quantum Mechanics can be extended to quasi-hermitian operators. The necessary mathematics to understand rigged Hilbert spaces and their representations is presented. Using the mathematics, we give rigorous meaning to Dirac's kets and bras, using the momentum operator as an example. The mathematical theory culminates with the nuclear spectral theorem(Gelfand-Maurin) which guarantees an eigenket decomposition for the wave functions. Next, we illustrate the theory by applying it to the quantum system defined by a potential barrier. We then introduce non-hermitian operators of interest in Quantum Mechanics, specifically PT-symmetric Hamiltonians. It is known that PT-symmetric Hamiltonians are necessarily pseudo-hermitian. We restrict our attention to a subclass of pseudo-hermitian operators, the quasi-hermitian operators, and present an extension of the nuclear spectral theorem. The extension, under certain conditions on the quasi-hermitian operator and the metric operator, guarantees an eigenket decomposition for a dense subset of the Hilbert space on which the operator is defined. We discuss how the extension may help put quasi-hermitian quantum mechanics on a rigorous footing and discuss its drawbacks and possible extensions. Lastly, we present conditions under which a spectral decomposition of quasi-hermitian operators with respect to an operator-valued measure exists. This is an extension of the spectral decomposition of self-adjoint operators with respect to a projection-valued measure.
A quasi-Hermitian operator is an operator that is similar to its adjoint in some sense, via a metric operator, i.e., a strictly positive self-adjoint operator. Whereas those metric operators are in general assumed to be bounded, we analyze the structure generated by unbounded metric operators in a Hilbert space. Following our previous work, we introduce several generalizations of the notion of similarity between operators. Then we explore systematically the various types of quasi-Hermitian operators, bounded or not. Finally, we discuss their application in the so-called pseudo-Hermitian quantum mechanics.
Based on the PT-symmetric quantum theory, the concepts of PT-frame, PT-symmetric operator and CPT-frame on a Hilbert space K and for an operator on K are proposed. It is proved that the spectrum and point spectrum of a PT-symmetric linear operator are both symmetric with respect to the real axis and the eigenvalues of an unbroken PT-symmetric operator are real. For a linear operator H on C d , it is proved that H has unbroken PT-symmetry if and only if it has d different eigenvalues and the corresponding eigenstates are eigenstates of PT. Given a CPT-frame on K, a new positive inner product on K is induced and called CPT-inner product. Te relationship between the CPT-adjoint and the Dirac adjoint of a densely defined linear operator is derived, and it is proved that an operator which has a bounded CPT-frame is CPT-Hermitian if and only if it is T-symmetric, in that case, it is similar to a Hermitian operator. The existence of an operator C consisting of a CPT-frame is discussed. These concepts and results will serve a mathematical discussion about PT-symmetric quantum mechanics.
A possible method to investigate non-Hermitian Hamiltonians is suggested through finding a Hermitian operator η+ and defining the annihilation and creation operators to be η+ -pseudo-Hermitian adjoint to each other. The operator η+ represents the η+ -pseudo-Hermiticity of Hamiltonians. As an example, a non-Hermitian and non-PT-symmetric Hamiltonian with imaginary linear coordinate and linear momentum terms is constructed and analyzed in detail. The operator η+ is found, based on which, a real spectrum and a positive-definite inner product, together with the probability explanation of wave functions, the orthogonality of eigenstates, and the unitarity of time evolution, are obtained for the non-Hermitian and non-PT-symmetric Hamiltonian. Moreover, this Hamiltonian turns out to be coupled when it is extended to the canonical noncommutative space with noncommutative spatial coordinate operators and noncommutative momentum operators as well. Our method is applicable to the coupled Hamiltonian. Then the first and second order noncommutative corrections of energy levels are calculated, and in particular the reality of energy spectra, the positive-definiteness of inner products, and the related properties (the probability explanation of wave functions, the orthogonality of eigenstates, and the unitarity of time evolution) are found not to be altered by the noncommutativity.