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arXiv:2103.10981 · International Journal of Nonlinear Sciences and Numerical Simulation

Invariant Eigen-Structure in Complex-Valued Quantum Mechanics

C.-D. Yang, Shiang-Yi Han

Published Jan 1, 2009• 2 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

The complex-valued quantum mechanics considers quantum motion on the complex plane instead of on the real axis, and studies the variations of a particle complex position, momentum and energy along a complex trajectory. On the basis of quantum Hamilton-Jacobi formalism in the complex space, we point out that having complex-valued motion is a universal property of quantum systems, because every quantum system is actually accompanied with an intrinsic complex Hamiltonian originating from the equation. It is revealed that the conventional real-valued quantum mechanics is a special case of the complex-valued quantum mechanics in that the eigen-structures of real and complex quantum systems, such as their eigenvalues, eigenfunctions and eigen-trajectories, are invariant under linear complex mapping. In other words, there is indeed no distinction between Hermitian systems, PT-symmetric systems, and non PT-symmetric systems when viewed from a complex domain. Their eigen-structures can be made coincident through linear transformation of complex coordinates.

DOI
10.1515/ijnsns.2009.10.4.407

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The complex-valued quantum mechanics considers quantum motion on the complex plane instead of on the real axis, and studies the variations of a particle complex position, momentum and energy along a complex trajectory. On the basis of quantum Hamilton-Jacobi formalism in the complex space, we point out that having complex-valued motion is a universal property of quantum systems, because every quantum system is actually accompanied with an intrinsic complex Hamiltonian originating from the equation. It is revealed that the conventional real-valued quantum mechanics is a special case of the complex-valued quantum mechanics in that the eigen-structures of real and complex quantum systems, such as their eigenvalues, eigenfunctions and eigen-trajectories, are invariant under linear complex mapping. In other words, there is indeed no distinction between Hermitian systems, PT-symmetric systems, and non PT-symmetric systems when viewed from a complex domain. Their eigen-structures can be made coincident through linear transformation of complex coordinates.
Quantum trajectories in complex space in the framework of the quantum Hamilton-Jacobi formalism are investigated. For time-dependent problems, the complex quantum trajectories determined from the exact analytical wave function for the free Gaussian wave packet and the coherent state in the harmonic potential are used to demonstrate that the information transported by the particles in the complex space can be used to synthesize the time-dependent wave function on the real axis. For time-independent problems, the exact complex quantum trajectories for the Eckart potential are obtained by numerically integrating the equations of motion. The unusual structure of the total potential (the sum of the classical and the quantum potentials) for the stationary states for the Eckart potential is pointed out. The variations of the complex-valued kinetic energy, classical potential, and quantum potential along the complex quantum trajectories are analyzed. This paper not only analyzes complex quantum trajectories for time-dependent and time-independent systems but also provides a unified description for complex quantum trajectories for one-dimensional problems in the quantum Hamilton-Jacobi formalism.
This paper proposes to broaden the canonical formulation of quantum mechanics.Ordinarily, one imposes the condition H † = H on the Hamiltonian, where † represents the mathematical operation of complex conjugation and matrix transposition.This conventional Hermiticity condition is sufficient to ensure that the Hamiltonian H has a real spectrum.However, replacing this mathematical condition by the weaker and more physical requirement H ‡ = H, where ‡ represents combined parity reflection and time reversal PT , one obtains new classes of complex Hamiltonians whose spectra are still real and positive.This generalization of Hermiticity is investigated using a complex deformation H = p 2 + x 2 (ix) ǫ of the harmonic oscillator Hamiltonian, where ǫ is a real parameter.The system exhibits two phases: When ǫ ≥ 0, the energy spectrum of H is real and positive as a consequence of PT symmetry.However, when -1 < ǫ < 0, the spectrum contains an infinite number of complex eigenvalues and a finite number of real, positive eigenvalues because PT symmetry is spontaneously broken.The phase transition that occurs at ǫ = 0 manifests itself in both the quantum-mechanical system and the underlying classical system.Similar qualitative features are exhibited by complex deformations of other standard real Hamiltonians H = p 2 + x 2N (ix) ǫ with N integer and ǫ > -N ; each of these complex Hamiltonians exhibits a phase transition at ǫ = 0.These PT -symmetric theories may be viewed as analytic continuations of conventional theories from real to complex phase space.
With a view to getting further insight into the solutions of one-dimensional analogous Schr?dinger equation for a non-hermitian (complex) Hamiltonian system, we investigate the quasi-exact PT- symmetric solutions for an octic potential and its variant using extended complex phase space approach characterized by x=x1+ip2, p=p1+ix2, where (x1, p1) and (x2, p2) are real and considered as canonical pairs. Besides the complexity of the phase space, complexity of potential parameters is also considered. The analyticity property of the eigenfunction alone is found sufficient to throw light on the nature of eigenvalue and eigenfunction of a system. The imaginary part of energy eigenvalue of a non-hermitian Hamiltonian exist for complex potential parameters and reduces to zero for real parameters. However, in the present work, it is found that imaginary component of the energy eigenvalue vanishes even when potential parameters are complex, provided that PT-symmetric condition is satisfied. Thus PT- symmetric version of a non-hermitian Hamiltonian possesses the real eigenvalue.
This paper proposes to broaden the canonical formulation of quantum mechanics. Ordinarily, one imposes the condition H†=H on the Hamiltonian, where † represents the mathematical operation of complex conjugation and matrix transposition. This conventional Hermiticity condition is sufficient to ensure that the Hamiltonian H has a real spectrum. However, replacing this mathematical condition by the weaker and more physical requirement H‡=H, where ‡ represents combined parity reflection and time reversal 𝒫𝒯, one obtains new classes of complex Hamiltonians whose spectra are still real and positive. This generalization of Hermiticity is investigated using a complex deformation H=p2+x2(ix)ε of the harmonic oscillator Hamiltonian, where ε is a real parameter. The system exhibits two phases: When ε⩾0, the energy spectrum of H is real and positive as a consequence of 𝒫𝒯 symmetry. However, when −1<ε<0, the spectrum contains an infinite number of complex eigenvalues and a finite number of real, positive eigenvalues because 𝒫𝒯 symmetry is spontaneously broken. The phase transition that occurs at ε=0 manifests itself in both the quantum-mechanical system and the underlying classical system. Similar qualitative features are exhibited by complex deformations of other standard real Hamiltonians H=p2+x2N(ix)ε with N integer and ε>−N; each of these complex Hamiltonians exhibits a phase transition at ε=0. These 𝒫𝒯-symmetric theories may be viewed as analytic continuations of conventional theories from real to complex phase space.
Complex-extended Bohmian mechanics is investigated by analytically continuing the wave function in polar form into the complex plane. We derive the complex-extended version of the quantum Hamilton-Jacobi equation and the continuity equation in Bohmian mechanics. Complex-extended Bohmian mechanics recovers the standard real-valued Bohmian mechanics on the real axis. The trajectories on the real axis are in accord with the standard real-valued Bohmian trajectories. The trajectories launched away from the real axis never intersect the real axis, and they display symmetry with respect to the real axis. Trajectories display hyperbolic deflection around nodes of the wave function in the complex plane.