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理论物理通讯：英文版

Correct Path-Integral Formulation of Quantum Thermal Field Theory in Coherent State Representation

SUJun-Chen, ZHENGFu-Hou

Published Jan 1, 2005• 0 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

The path-integral quantization of thermal scalar, vector, and spinor fields is performed newly in the coherent-state representation. In doing this, we choose the thermal electrodynamics and ψ4 theory as examples. By this quantization, correct expressions of the partition functions and the generating functionals for the quantum thermal electrodynamics and ψ4 theory are obtained in the coherent-state representation. These expressions allow us to perform analytical calculations of the partition functions and generating functionals and therefore are useful in practical applications. Especially, the perturbative expansions of the generating functionals are derived specifically by virtue of the stationary-phase method. The generating functionals formulated in the position space are re-derived from the ones given in the coherent-state representation.

Related papers

Correct Path-Integral Formulation of Quantum Thermal Field Theory in Coherent State Representation

Jun-Chen Su, Zheng Fu-Hou

The path-integral quantization of thermal scalar, vector, and spinor fields is performed newly in the coherent-state representation. In doing this, we choose the thermal electrodynamics and φ 4 theory as examples. By this quantization, correct expressions of the partition functions and the generating functionals for the quantum thermal electrodynamics and φ 4 theory are obtained in the coherent-state representation. These expressions allow us to perform analytical calculations of the partition functions and generating functionals and therefore are useful in practical applications. Especially, the perturbative expansions of the generating functionals are derived specifically by virtue of the stationary-phase method. The generating functionals formulated in the position space are re-derived from the ones given in the coherent-state representation.

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Path-integral quantization of Galilean Fermi fields 1

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The Galilei-covariant fermionic field theories are quantized by using the path-integral method and five-dimensional Lorentz-like covariant expressions of non-relativistic field equations. Firstly we review the five-dimensional approach to the Galilean Dirac equation, which leads to the Lévy-Leblond equations, and define the Galilean generating functional and Green’s functions for positive- and negative-energy/mass solutions. Then, as an example of interactions, we consider the quartic self-interacting potential λ(ΨΨ) 2, and we derive expressions for the 2- and 4-point Green’s functions. Our results are compatible with those found in the literature on non-relativistic many-body systems. The extended manifold allows for compact expressions of the contributions in (3 + 1) space-time. This is particularly apparent when we represent the results with diagrams in the extended (4 + 1) manifold, since they usually encompass more diagrams in Galilean (3 + 1) space-time. 1

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Path integral formulation of dissipative quantum dynamics

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In this thesis the path integral formalism is applied to the calculation of the dynamics of dissipative quantum systems. The time evolution of a system of bilinearly coupled bosonic modes is treated using the real-time path integral technique in coherent-state representation. This method is applied to a damped harmonic oscillator within the Caldeira-Leggett model. In order to get the stationary trajectories the corresponding Lagrangian function is diagonalized and then the path integrals are evaluated by means of the stationary-phase method. The time evolution of the reduced density matrix in the basis of coherent states is given in simple analytic form for weak system-bath coupling, i.e. the so-called rotating-wave terms can be evaluated exactly but the non-rotating-wave terms only in a perturbative manner. The validity range of the rotating-wave approximation is discussed from the viewpoint of spectral equations. In addition, it is shown that systems without initial system-bath correlations can exhibit initial jumps in the population dynamics even for rather weak dissipation. Only with initial correlations the classical trajectories for the system coordinate can be recovered. The path integral formalism in a combined phase-space and coherent-state representation is applied to the problem of curve-crossing dynamics. The system of interest is described by two coupled one-dimensional harmonic potential energy surfaces interacting with a heat bath. The mapping approach is used to rewrite the Lagrangian function of the electronic part of the system. Using the Feynman-Vernon influence-functional method the bath is eliminated whereas the non-Gaussian part of the path integral is treated using the perturbation theory in the small coordinate shift between potential energy surfaces. The vibrational and the population dynamics is considered in a lowest order of the perturbation. The dynamics of a Gaussian wave packet is analyzed along a one-dimensional reaction coordinate. Also the damping rate of coherence in the electronic part of the relevant system is evaluated within the ordinary and variational perturbation theory. The analytic expressions for the rate functions are obtained in the low and high temperature regimes.

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This chapter shows how to construct path integral representation using a closure relation based on the eigenstates of the creation or the annihilation operators. It examines how coherent states are used to obtain a path integral representation of the partition function as well as calculating directly the trace defining the partition function. The chapter explores quantum field theory using the Feynman functional and diagrammatic techniques as foundations to apply Quantum Field Theory to a broad range of topics in physics. The minimum uncertainty wave packets for the harmonic oscillator were published as coherent states by Schrodinger. Coherent states have played an important role in many branches of physics and, in particular, quantum field theory and quantum optics. The most important property of coherent states is their overcompleteness in the Fock space, which implies that any vector of the Fock space can be expanded in terms of coherent states.

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The path-integral quantization of thermal scalar, vector, and spinor fields is performed newly in the coherent-state representation. In doing this, we choose the thermal electrodynamics and ψ4 theory as examples. By this quantization, correct expressions of the partition functions and the generating functionals for the quantum thermal electrodynamics and ψ4 theory are obtained in the coherent-state representation. These expressions allow us to perform analytical calculations of the partition functions and generating functionals and therefore are useful in practical applications. Especially, the perturbative expansions of the generating functionals are derived specifically by virtue of the stationary-phase method. The generating functionals formulated in the position space are re-derived from the ones given in the coherent-state representation.
The path-integral quantization of thermal scalar, vector, and spinor fields is performed newly in the coherent-state representation. In doing this, we choose the thermal electrodynamics and φ 4 theory as examples. By this quantization, correct expressions of the partition functions and the generating functionals for the quantum thermal electrodynamics and φ 4 theory are obtained in the coherent-state representation. These expressions allow us to perform analytical calculations of the partition functions and generating functionals and therefore are useful in practical applications. Especially, the perturbative expansions of the generating functionals are derived specifically by virtue of the stationary-phase method. The generating functionals formulated in the position space are re-derived from the ones given in the coherent-state representation.
We construct the path integral formulation of the partition function for a free scalar thermal field theory using coherent states, first in the ladder operator basis and then in the field operator basis. In so doing, we provide for the first time a mapping in quantum field theory between the field-basis coherent states and ladder-basis coherent states. Using either basis, one finds terms missed in the usual path integral derivation, which we identify as the vacuum energy contribution to the partition function. We then extend the field-basis coherent state method to the interacting ϕ4ϕ^4ϕ4 theory. In addition to the vacuum energy contribution, one finds a coupling of a vacuum expectation value to the mass term that is absent in the existing literature.
Abstract The functional integral representation of the density matrix at thermal equilibrium in non-relativistic quantum mechanics (QM) with many degrees of freedom, in the grand canonical formulation is introduced. In QM, Hamiltonians H(p,q) can be also expressed in terms of creation and annihilation operators, a method adapted to the study of perturbed harmonic oscillators. In the holomorphic formalism, quantum operators act by multiplication and differentiation on a vector space of analytic functions. Alternatively, they can also be represented by kernels, functions of complex variables that correspond in the classical limit to a complex parametrization of phase space. The formalism is adapted to the description of many-body boson systems. To this formalism corresponds a path integral representation of the density matrix at thermal equilibrium, where paths belong to complex spaces, instead of the more usual position–momentum phase space. A parallel formalism can be set up to describe systems with many fermion degrees of freedom, with Grassmann variables replacing complex variables. Both formalisms can be generalized to quantum gases of Bose and Fermi particles in the grand canonical formulation. Field integral representations of the corresponding quantum partition functions are derived.
The Galilei-covariant fermionic field theories are quantized by using the path-integral method and five-dimensional Lorentz-like covariant expressions of non-relativistic field equations. Firstly we review the five-dimensional approach to the Galilean Dirac equation, which leads to the Lévy-Leblond equations, and define the Galilean generating functional and Green’s functions for positive- and negative-energy/mass solutions. Then, as an example of interactions, we consider the quartic self-interacting potential λ(ΨΨ) 2, and we derive expressions for the 2- and 4-point Green’s functions. Our results are compatible with those found in the literature on non-relativistic many-body systems. The extended manifold allows for compact expressions of the contributions in (3 + 1) space-time. This is particularly apparent when we represent the results with diagrams in the extended (4 + 1) manifold, since they usually encompass more diagrams in Galilean (3 + 1) space-time. 1
In this thesis the path integral formalism is applied to the calculation of the dynamics of dissipative quantum systems. The time evolution of a system of bilinearly coupled bosonic modes is treated using the real-time path integral technique in coherent-state representation. This method is applied to a damped harmonic oscillator within the Caldeira-Leggett model. In order to get the stationary trajectories the corresponding Lagrangian function is diagonalized and then the path integrals are evaluated by means of the stationary-phase method. The time evolution of the reduced density matrix in the basis of coherent states is given in simple analytic form for weak system-bath coupling, i.e. the so-called rotating-wave terms can be evaluated exactly but the non-rotating-wave terms only in a perturbative manner. The validity range of the rotating-wave approximation is discussed from the viewpoint of spectral equations. In addition, it is shown that systems without initial system-bath correlations can exhibit initial jumps in the population dynamics even for rather weak dissipation. Only with initial correlations the classical trajectories for the system coordinate can be recovered. The path integral formalism in a combined phase-space and coherent-state representation is applied to the problem of curve-crossing dynamics. The system of interest is described by two coupled one-dimensional harmonic potential energy surfaces interacting with a heat bath. The mapping approach is used to rewrite the Lagrangian function of the electronic part of the system. Using the Feynman-Vernon influence-functional method the bath is eliminated whereas the non-Gaussian part of the path integral is treated using the perturbation theory in the small coordinate shift between potential energy surfaces. The vibrational and the population dynamics is considered in a lowest order of the perturbation. The dynamics of a Gaussian wave packet is analyzed along a one-dimensional reaction coordinate. Also the damping rate of coherence in the electronic part of the relevant system is evaluated within the ordinary and variational perturbation theory. The analytic expressions for the rate functions are obtained in the low and high temperature regimes.
This chapter shows how to construct path integral representation using a closure relation based on the eigenstates of the creation or the annihilation operators. It examines how coherent states are used to obtain a path integral representation of the partition function as well as calculating directly the trace defining the partition function. The chapter explores quantum field theory using the Feynman functional and diagrammatic techniques as foundations to apply Quantum Field Theory to a broad range of topics in physics. The minimum uncertainty wave packets for the harmonic oscillator were published as coherent states by Schrodinger. Coherent states have played an important role in many branches of physics and, in particular, quantum field theory and quantum optics. The most important property of coherent states is their overcompleteness in the Fock space, which implies that any vector of the Fock space can be expanded in terms of coherent states.