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Oxford University Press eBooks

Grassmann numbers: coherent states and the path integral for fermions

Tom Lancaster, Stephen J. Blundell

Published Apr 17, 2014• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

This chapter introduces a new type of mathematical object: Grassmann numbers. These anticommute and can be used to describe fermions. It shows how to construct a fermion path integral using Grassmann numbers.
DOI
10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199699322.003.0029

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In the path integral representation of quantum amplitudes ( chapter 16 ) the fields are regarded as classical functions. Matrix elements of time-ordered products of bosonic operators could be satisfactorily represented (see the discussion following ( 16.79 )). But something new is needed to represent, for example, the time-ordered product of two fermionic operators: there must be a sign difference between the two orderings, since the fermionic operators anticommute . Thus it seems that to represent amplitudes involving fermionic operators by path integrals we must think in terms of ‘classical’ anticommuting variables.
The methods that have been described in previous chapters can be used to study general quantum Bose systems. They are based in a direct way on the introduction of a generating function of symmetric wave functions of bosons. In the case of fermion systems, however, one faces the problem that fermion wave functions, or fermion correlation functions (or Green functions) are antisymmetric with respect to the exchange of a fermion pair. Thus, the construction of generating functions requires the introduction of an antisymmetric or Grassmann algebra of ‘classical functions’. It is then possible to generalize to Grassmann algebras the notions of derivatives and integrals, yielding quite parallel formalisms for bosons and fermions, in particular, to define a path integral for fermion systems, analogous to the holomorphic path integral for bosons. This chapter discusses differentiation and integration in Grassmann algebras, Gaussian integrals and perturbative expansion, partition function, and quantum Fermi gas.
The aim of this paper is to give a self-contained and unified presentation of a fermionic coherent state theory with the necessary mathematical details, discussing their definition, properties and some applications. After defining Grassmann algebras, it is possible to get a classical analog for the fermionic degrees of freedom in a quantum system. Following the basic work of Berezin (1966 The Method of Second Quantization (New York: Academic); 1987 Introduction to Superanalysis (Dordrecht: Reidel Publishing Company)), we show that we can compute with Grassmann numbers as we do with complex numbers: derivation, integration, Fourier transform. After that we show that we have quantization formulas for fermionic observables. In particular, there exists a Moyal product formula. As an application, we consider explicit computations for propagators with quadratic Hamiltonians in annihilation and creation operators. We prove a Mehler formula for the propagator and Mehlig–Wilkinson-type formulas for the covariant and contravariant symbols of ‘metaplectic’ transformations for fermionic states. This article is part of a special issue of Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical devoted to ‘Coherent states: mathematical and physical aspects’.
This chapter is an introduction to some computation techniques for fermionic states. After defining Grassmann algebras it is possible to get a classical analogue for the fermionic degrees of freedom in a quantum system. Following the basic work of Berezin [23, 26], we show that we can compute with Grassmann numbers as we do with complex numbers: derivation, integration, Fourier transform. After that we show that we have quantization formula for fermionic observables. In particular there exists a Moyal product formula. As an application we consider explicit computations for propagators with quadratic Hamiltonians in annihilation and creation operators.