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arXiv:1611.04777 · Journal of Mathematical Physics

Does Levinson’s theorem count complex eigenvalues?

François Nicoleau, Daniel Parra, Serge Richard

Published Oct 1, 2017• 7 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

By considering a quantum-mechanical system with complex eigenvalues, we show that indeed Levinson’s theorem extends to the non self-adjoint setting. The perturbed system corresponds to a realization of the Schrödinger operator with inverse square potential on the half-line, while the Dirichlet Laplacian on the half-line is chosen for the reference system. The resulting relation is an equality between the number of eigenvalues of the perturbed system and the winding number of the scattering system together with additional operators living at 0-energy and at infinite energy.

DOI
10.1063/1.5004574

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Introduction

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In the theory of quantum mechanics the Hamiltonian H is typically selfadjoint, i.e., H = H *. The self-adjointness ensures that the spectrum of the Hamiltonian, representing the energy spectrum of H , is real but it is not a necessary condition. In the literature on so-called PT -symmetric quantum mechanics (see, e.g., [BB98], [BBM99], [BBJ03], [Ben04b] and [Ben07]), it is believed that self-adjointness is rather a mathematical requirement than a physically established fact. Therefore, it was considered a surprise that operators exist which are not self-adjoint in the given quantum mechanical Hilbert space, but have real spectrum and that – if e.g. complex eigenvalues were present – they occurred only in complex conjugate pairs.

Vieweg+Teubner eBooks•Jan 1, 2011•0 citations
By considering a quantum-mechanical system with complex eigenvalues, we show that indeed Levinson’s theorem extends to the non self-adjoint setting. The perturbed system corresponds to a realization of the Schrödinger operator with inverse square potential on the half-line, while the Dirichlet Laplacian on the half-line is chosen for the reference system. The resulting relation is an equality between the number of eigenvalues of the perturbed system and the winding number of the scattering system together with additional operators living at 0-energy and at infinite energy.
Abstract Motivated by what one observes dealing with PT-symmetric quantum mechanics, we discuss what happens if a physical system is driven by a diagonalizable Hamiltonian with not all real eigenvalues. In particular, we consider the functional structure related to systems living in finite-dimensional Hilbert spaces, and we show that certain intertwining relations can be deduced also in this case if we introduce suitable antilinear operators. We also analyze a simple model, computing the transition probabilities in the broken and in the unbroken regime.
The Schrodinger equation for stationary states in a central potential is studied in an arbitrary number of spatial dimensions, say q. After transformation into an equivalent equation, where the coefficient of the first derivative vanishes, it is shown that in such equation the coefficient of the second inverse power of r is an even function of a parameter, say lambda, depending on a linear combination of q and of the angular momentum quantum number, say l. Thus, the case of complex values of lambda, which is useful in scattering theory, involves, in general, both a complex value of the parameter originally viewed as the spatial dimension and complex values of the angular momentum quantum number. The paper ends with a proof of the Levinson theorem in an arbitrary number of spatial dimensions, when the potential includes a non-local term which might be useful to understand the interaction between two nucleons.
Non-self-adjoint quantum mechanical operators do not necessarily possess eigenvalues. Finite N ? N matrix representations of these operators, however, can be hermitian and therefore have a finite set of N real eigenvalues. Using the momentum operator, the kinetic energy operator, and the relativistic Hamiltonian of the Coulomb problem for the Klein?Gordon equation as examples, we examine analytically and also numerically the properties of the spectrum and eigenvectors in finite dimensional Hilbert spaces. We study the limit of N ? ? for which some eigenvalues cease to exist as the corresponding operators are not self-adjoint.
In the theory of quantum mechanics the Hamiltonian H is typically selfadjoint, i.e., H = H *. The self-adjointness ensures that the spectrum of the Hamiltonian, representing the energy spectrum of H , is real but it is not a necessary condition. In the literature on so-called PT -symmetric quantum mechanics (see, e.g., [BB98], [BBM99], [BBJ03], [Ben04b] and [Ben07]), it is believed that self-adjointness is rather a mathematical requirement than a physically established fact. Therefore, it was considered a surprise that operators exist which are not self-adjoint in the given quantum mechanical Hilbert space, but have real spectrum and that – if e.g. complex eigenvalues were present – they occurred only in complex conjugate pairs.