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CRC Press eBooks

Quantum Dynamics and Supersymmetric Quantum Mechanics

Eric R. Bittner, Donald Jack Kouri

Published Apr 19, 2016• 0 citations

Abstract

Supersymmetry (SUSY) postulates that for every fermion there is boson of equal mass (i.e. energy). In quantum mechanics this comes about because for every quantum Hamiltonian there is a partner Hamiltonian that has the same energy spectrum above the ground state of the original system. In particle physics, one “sector” is populated by bosons and the other sector by fermions and SUSY predicts that the lowest lying fermion state is energetically degenerate with the first excited boson state. Evidence for SUSY has proven to be elusive and it is now believed that SUSY is a broken symmetry. In January 2009 at a conference dedicated to Bob Wyatt, we began to look at SUSY as a way to develop new computational methods and approaches. Up until now, SUSY has been more of a mathematical technique that has been used more or less as a way to obtain stationary solutions to the Schrödinger equation for a variety of T&F Cat # K11224, Chapter 4, Page 54, 15-9-2010 one-dimensional potential systems. In this chapter, we will discuss some of the work we have been doing in developing “SUSY” inspired methods for performing quantum many-body calculations and quantum scattering calculations. We begin with a brief overview of the SUSY theory and some of its elementary results. We then discuss how we have used the approach to develop both analytical and numerical solutions of the stationary Schrödinger equation. Finally, we conclude by discussing our recent extension of SUSY to higher dimensions and for scattering theory.

DOI: 10.1201/b10287-9

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Supersymmetry (SUSY) postulates that for every fermion there is boson of equal mass (i.e. energy). In quantum mechanics this comes about because for every quantum Hamiltonian there is a partner Hamiltonian that has the same energy spectrum above the ground state of the original system. In particle physics, one “sector” is populated by bosons and the other sector by fermions and SUSY predicts that the lowest lying fermion state is energetically degenerate with the first excited boson state. Evidence for SUSY has proven to be elusive and it is now believed that SUSY is a broken symmetry. In January 2009 at a conference dedicated to Bob Wyatt, we began to look at SUSY as a way to develop new computational methods and approaches. Up until now, SUSY has been more of a mathematical technique that has been used more or less as a way to obtain stationary solutions to the Schrödinger equation for a variety of T&F Cat # K11224, Chapter 4, Page 54, 15-9-2010 one-dimensional potential systems. In this chapter, we will discuss some of the work we have been doing in developing “SUSY” inspired methods for performing quantum many-body calculations and quantum scattering calculations. We begin with a brief overview of the SUSY theory and some of its elementary results. We then discuss how we have used the approach to develop both analytical and numerical solutions of the stationary Schrödinger equation. Finally, we conclude by discussing our recent extension of SUSY to higher dimensions and for scattering theory.

We present here a supersymmetric (SUSY) approach for determining excitation energies within the context of a quantum Monte Carlo scheme. By using the fact that SUSY quantum mechanics gives rises to a series of isospectral Hamiltonians, we show that Monte Carlo ground-state calculations in the SUSY partners can be used to reconstruct accurately both the spectrum and states of an arbitrary Schrödinger equation. Since the ground-state of each partner potential is node-less, we avoid any ``node''-problem typically associated with the Monte Carlo technique. While we provide an example of using this approach to determine the tunneling states in a double-well potential, the method is applicable to any 1D potential problem. We conclude by discussing the extension to higher dimensions.

This undergraduate thesis contains one dimensional introductory treatment of Supersymmetric Quantum Mechanics (SUSY QM). The factorisation method is used to obtain Partner Hamiltonians, and the notions of partner potentials and superpotential are introduced. It demonstrated how energy spectra and eigenfunctions of partner potentials can be correlated for the cases of unbroken and broken supersymmetry. Generalisations of these cases attributed to Sets of Hamiltonians and shape invariant potentials are introduced. The devel oped formalisation is used to obtain energy eigenfunctions and spectra of partner potentials of some well-known quantum systems, namely the Infinite Square Well and the Free Particle. In these systems, the partner potentials are trigonometric and hyperbolic functions, respectively. A comparison of these two physically distinct but mathematically related partner potentials is provided. A new philosophical interpretation of SUSY QM is introduced, with an ontological discussion of supersymmetric notions and SUSY QM. The current observation problem of SUSY is discussed, and on that basis, two opposing arguments are presented. The method of Falsification by Karl Popper is briefly introduced, and an argument is produced regarding its application to SUSY.

We present here a supersymmetric (SUSY) approach for determining excitation energies within the context of a quantum Monte Carlo scheme. By using the fact that SUSY quantum mechanics gives rises to a series of isospectral Hamiltonians, we show that Monte Carlo ground-state calculations in the SUSY partners can be used to reconstruct accurately both the spectrum and states of an arbitrary Schrodinger equation. Since the ground state of each partner potential is nodeless, we avoid any "node" problem typically associated with the Monte Carlo technique. Although we provide an example of using this approach to determine the tunneling states in a double-well potential, the method is applicable to any 1D potential problem. We conclude by discussing the extension to higher dimensions.

In the present paper, we will concern ourselves with the extended phase-space quantum mechanics of particles which have both bosonic and fermionic degrees of freedom, i.e., the quantum field theory in (0 + 1) dimensions in q -(position) and p -(momentum) spaces, exhibiting supersymmetry. We present ( N = 2) realization of extended supersymmetry algebra and discuss the vacuum energy and topology of super-potentials. Shape invariance of exactly solvable extended SUSY potentials allows us to obtain analytic expressions for the entire energy spectrum of an extended Hamiltonian with, for example, Scarf potential without ever referring to an underlying differential equation.

In particular, the structure of the degeneracies between sector Hamiltonians makes it possible to achieve significant progress in more accurate calculations of excited state energies and wave functions.Below we outline how the theory can be used as a new computational tool, first for one dimension and later for higher dimensional systems.In addition, we also introduce an entirely new class of system dependent coherent states.There have been a number of suggested generalizations of SUSY-QM to treat more than one dimensional systems Andrianov et al.

Motivated by the duality of normalizable states and the presence of the quasi-parity quantum number q = ± 1 in 𝒫𝒯 symmetric (non-Hermitian) quantum mechanical potential models, the relation of 𝒫𝒯 symmetry and supersymmetry (SUSY) is studied. As an illustrative example, the 𝒫𝒯 invariant version of the Scarf II potential is presented, and it is shown that the ‘bosonic’ Hamiltonian has two different ‘fermionic’ SUSY partner Hamiltonians (potentials) generated from the ground-state solutions with q = 1 and q = −1. It is shown that the ‘fermionic’ potentials cease to be 𝒫𝒯 invariant when the 𝒫𝒯 symmetry of the ‘bosonic’ potential is spontaneously broken. A modified 𝒫𝒯 symmetry inspired SUSY construction is also discussed, in which the SUSY charge operators contain the antilinear operator 𝒯. It is shown that in this scheme the ‘fermionic’ Hamiltonians are just the complex conjugates of the original ‘fermionic’ Hamiltonians, and thus possess the same energy eigenvalues.