Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Physical Review Letters

Exact Time-Dependent Green's Function for the Half-Plane Barrier

Lawrence S. Schulman

Published Aug 30, 1982• 35 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Let $G$ be the time-dependent quantum mechanical propagator for a particle that is free except for a half-plane barrier with a straight edge. A closed-form exact expression for $G$ is presented in terms of the Fresnel integral for the case where the initial and final positions lie in a plane perpendicular to the edge. $G$ is not expressible as a sum over classical paths.

DOI
10.1103/physrevlett.49.599

Related papers

A new exact quantum mechanical propagator

F.W. Wiegel, P W van Andel

The authors derive a closed-form expression for the time-dependent propagator for a quantum mechanical particle which is subject to an external force which is the sum of (i) a reflecting half-plane barrier with a straight edge, and (ii) a harmonic force pointing towards a point of the edge. This new addition to the short list of exactly known quantum mechanical Green functions is a simple combination of exponential functions and Fresnel integrals, the arguments of which are combinations of trigonometric functions.

Journal of Physics A Mathematical and General•Feb 21, 1987•9 citations

Quantum mechanics on the half-line using path integrals

T. E. Clark, Ralph Menikoff, D. H. Sharp

We study the Feynman path-integral formalism for the constrained problem of a free particle moving on the half-line. It is shown that the effect of the boundary condition at the origin can be incorporated into the path integral by a simple modification of the action. The small-time behavior of the Green's function can be obtained from the stationary-phase evaluation of our expression for the path integral, which in this case includes contributions from both the direct and reflected classical paths.

Physical review. D. Particles, fields, gravitation, and cosmology/Physical review. D. Particles and fields•Dec 15, 1980•79 citations

Path integration via summation of perturbation expansions and applications to totally reflecting boundaries, and potential steps

Ch. Grosche

The path integral for the propagator is expanded into a perturbation series, which can be exactly summed in the case of \ensuremath{\delta}-function perturbations giving a closed expression for the (energy-dependent) Green function. Making the strength of the \ensuremath{\delta}-function perturbation infinite repulsive produces a totally reflecting boundary, hence giving a path integral solution in half spaces in terms of the corresponding Green function. The example of the Wood-Saxon potential serves by an appropriate limiting procedure to obtain the Green function for the step potential and the finite potential well in the half space, respectively.

arXiv:hep-th/9303128•Physical Review Letters•Jul 5, 1993•83 citations

Operator method for finding new propagators from old

Arlen Anderson

A new approach to finding the exact Green's function to the time-dependent Schr\"odinger equation is described. The approach is conceptually simple: one seeks an operator which when commuted through the Schr\"odinger operator transforms it into the Schr\"odinger operator of a soluble problem. This approach provides an alternative to both the eigenfunction expansion of the propagator and the path integral. The first example of an exact propagator represented as a ``sum over classical paths'' which is not equal to the Gaussian approximation of the path integral is found.

Physical review. D. Particles, fields, gravitation, and cosmology/Physical review. D. Particles and fields•Jan 15, 1988•18 citations

The functional integral for a free particle on a half-plane

Michel Carreau

(D.O.E.) under contract #DE-AC02-76ER03069, and by the Fonds pour la Formation de Chercheurs et l’Aide à la Recherche. A free non-relativistic particle moving in two dimensions on a half-plane can be described by self-adjoint Hamiltonians characterized by boundary conditions imposed on the systems. The most general boundary condition is parameterized in terms of the elements of an infinite-dimensional matrix. We construct the Brownian functional integral for each of these self-adjoint Hamiltonians. Non-local boundary conditions are implemented by allowing the paths striking the boundary to jump to other locations on the boundary. Analytic continuation in time results in the Green’s functions of the Schrödinger equation satisfying the boundary condition characterizing the self-adjoint Hamiltonian. 1 I.

•Jan 1, 1992•9 citations

Path integrals of systems on the half-line

Seiji Sakoda

It is wellknown that the Feynman kernel for the free particle on the half-line can be expressed as a sum over classical paths if we take the contribution from the reflected path into account. The minus sign for the reflected path needs to be generalized depending on the parameter of the potential if we add a potential proportional to $1/x^{2}$.

arXiv:1809.04856•Sep 13, 2018•0 citations
Let GGG be the time-dependent quantum mechanical propagator for a particle that is free except for a half-plane barrier with a straight edge. A closed-form exact expression for GGG is presented in terms of the Fresnel integral for the case where the initial and final positions lie in a plane perpendicular to the edge. GGG is not expressible as a sum over classical paths.
The authors derive a closed-form expression for the time-dependent propagator for a quantum mechanical particle which is subject to an external force which is the sum of (i) a reflecting half-plane barrier with a straight edge, and (ii) a harmonic force pointing towards a point of the edge. This new addition to the short list of exactly known quantum mechanical Green functions is a simple combination of exponential functions and Fresnel integrals, the arguments of which are combinations of trigonometric functions.
We study the Feynman path-integral formalism for the constrained problem of a free particle moving on the half-line. It is shown that the effect of the boundary condition at the origin can be incorporated into the path integral by a simple modification of the action. The small-time behavior of the Green's function can be obtained from the stationary-phase evaluation of our expression for the path integral, which in this case includes contributions from both the direct and reflected classical paths.
The path integral for the propagator is expanded into a perturbation series, which can be exactly summed in the case of \ensuremath{\delta}-function perturbations giving a closed expression for the (energy-dependent) Green function. Making the strength of the \ensuremath{\delta}-function perturbation infinite repulsive produces a totally reflecting boundary, hence giving a path integral solution in half spaces in terms of the corresponding Green function. The example of the Wood-Saxon potential serves by an appropriate limiting procedure to obtain the Green function for the step potential and the finite potential well in the half space, respectively.
A new approach to finding the exact Green's function to the time-dependent Schr\"odinger equation is described. The approach is conceptually simple: one seeks an operator which when commuted through the Schr\"odinger operator transforms it into the Schr\"odinger operator of a soluble problem. This approach provides an alternative to both the eigenfunction expansion of the propagator and the path integral. The first example of an exact propagator represented as a ``sum over classical paths'' which is not equal to the Gaussian approximation of the path integral is found.
(D.O.E.) under contract #DE-AC02-76ER03069, and by the Fonds pour la Formation de Chercheurs et l’Aide à la Recherche. A free non-relativistic particle moving in two dimensions on a half-plane can be described by self-adjoint Hamiltonians characterized by boundary conditions imposed on the systems. The most general boundary condition is parameterized in terms of the elements of an infinite-dimensional matrix. We construct the Brownian functional integral for each of these self-adjoint Hamiltonians. Non-local boundary conditions are implemented by allowing the paths striking the boundary to jump to other locations on the boundary. Analytic continuation in time results in the Green’s functions of the Schrödinger equation satisfying the boundary condition characterizing the self-adjoint Hamiltonian. 1 I.
It is wellknown that the Feynman kernel for the free particle on the half-line can be expressed as a sum over classical paths if we take the contribution from the reflected path into account. The minus sign for the reflected path needs to be generalized depending on the parameter of the potential if we add a potential proportional to 1/x21/x^{2}1/x2.