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Fortschritte der Physik/Progress of Physics

Functional-Integral Approach to the Quantum Dynamics of Nonrelativistic Bose and Fermi Systems in the Coherent-state Representation

Д. Эберт, Vladimir Sergeevich Yarunin

Published Jan 1, 1994• 3 citations
Publisher

Abstract

This paper presents new examples of the functional-integral description of nonrelativistic quantum processes. The main point is the development and application of a functional-integral version which gives an adequate representation of the coherent dynamics of short impulses of light in media. An exact correspondence is received between the physical picture and functional-integral trajectories as the solutions of Euler-Lagrange equations with given initial and final conditions. The observed examples demonstrate the powerfulness of the path-integral method in the functional treatment and will promote the non-operator representation of quantum mechanics and quantum statistics.

DOI
10.1002/prop.2190420702

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This paper presents new examples of the functional-integral description of nonrelativistic quantum processes. The main point is the development and application of a functional-integral version which gives an adequate representation of the coherent dynamics of short impulses of light in media. An exact correspondence is received between the physical picture and functional-integral trajectories as the solutions of Euler-Lagrange equations with given initial and final conditions. The observed examples demonstrate the powerfulness of the path-integral method in the functional treatment and will promote the non-operator representation of quantum mechanics and quantum statistics.
The path integral formulation of quantum mechanics, i.e., the idea that the evolution of a quantum system is determined as a sum over all the possible trajectories that would take the system from the initial to its final state of its dynamical evolution, is perhaps the most elegant and universal framework developed in theoretical physics, second only to the standard model of particle physics. In this Tutorial, we retrace the steps that led to the creation of such a remarkable framework, discuss its foundations, and present some of the classical examples of problems that can be solved using the path integral formalism, as a way to introduce the readers to the topic and help them get familiar with the formalism. Then, we focus our attention on the use of path integrals in optics and photonics and discuss in detail how they have been used in the past to approach several problems, ranging from the propagation of light in inhomogeneous media to parametric amplification and quantum nonlinear optics in arbitrary media. To complement this, we also briefly present the path integral Monte Carlo method, as a valuable computational resource for condensed matter physics, and discuss its potential applications and advantages if used in photonics.
CONTENTS: Preface Bosonic Path Integrals Nelson's Stochastic Mechanics by Means of Feynman Path Integrals Feymman path-integrals for Brownian Classical Motions (1+1)-dimensional Burger turbulence in the framework of Hopf-Cole Transformation and Feymman Trajectories path-integrals Feynman-Wiener Path Integral Representations for the Quantum Harmonic Oscillator with Time-Dependent Stochastic Frequency: Quantum Brownian Motions and Navier-Stokes Weakly Turbulence Some studies on functional integrals representations for fluid motion with random conditions Statistics turbulence suppression by a strong magnetic field: A Feynman path integral argument A non-linear diffusion equation, Some existence and uniqueness results on weak solutions for random initial conditions and its path integral representation -- a mathematical methods approach The Exact Evalution of the Response Function for Wave Propagation in Random Media: A Functional Integral Approach On the Abstract Method of Integration for Wave Equation and some Applications for Wave Physics Feynman Path-Integral Studies for Quantum Particles Propagators Interacting with Environments The Quantum Fractional Dimensional Brownian Motion: A Path-Integral Study Ohm's Law: A Langevin Path-Integral Study at Classical and Quantum W.K.B. Regime On the Statistical of An Ideal Gas with Mass Fluctuations and the Boltzman Ergodic Theorem: The Combined Boltzman-Tsallis Statistics The Suppression of the Quantum Phenomena by an External Strong White-Noise Magnetic Field: A Path Integral Argument Index.
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.
It is demonstrated that the nature of optical parametric amplification is a quantum phenomenon. The system Lagrangian can be constructed by the path integral of coherent state. The equations of motion for photon operators are indeed the Euler-Lagrange equations of a Lagrangian. The quantum state evolution equation can also be obtained without resorting to quantum Hamiltonian or Lagrangian. Starting with classical Newton equation, quantum transition amplitude of the system can be educed by surface integral.
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.
Abstract Functional integrals are basic tools to study first quantum mechanics (QM), and quantum field theory (QFT). The path integral formulation of QM is well suited to the study of systems with an arbitrary number of degrees of freedom. It makes a smooth transition between nonrelativistic QM and QFT possible. The Euclidean functional integral also emphasizes the deep connection between QFT and the statistical physics of systems with short-range interactions near a continuous phase transition. The path integral representation of the matrix elements of the quantum statistical operator e-β H for Hamiltonians of the simple separable form p2/2m +V(q) is derived. To the path integral corresponds a functional measure and expectation values called correlation functions, which are generalized moments, and related to quantum observables, after an analytic continuation in time. The path integral corresponding to the Euclidean action of a harmonic oscillator, to which is added a time-dependent external force, is calculated explicitly. The result is used to generate Gaussian correlation functions and also to reduce the evaluation of path integrals to perturbation theory. The path integral also provides a convenient tool to derive semi-classical approximations.