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arXiv:math-ph/9805022 · Communications in Mathematical Physics

Adiabatic Theorem without a Gap Condition

J. E. Avron, Alexander Elgart

Published Jun 1, 1999• 270 citations
arXivHTMLPDF
DOI
10.1007/s002200050620

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In this work we generalize some of the previously known adiabatic theorems to situations with non-unitary evolutions in Banach spaces. We prove adiabatic theorems with uniform gap condition (generalizing a theorem of Abou Salem), adiabatic theorems with non-uniform gap condition (generalizing a theorem of Kato) and qualitative as well as quantitative adiabatic theorems without gap condition (generalizing theorems of Avron and Elgart, and Teufel). Additionally, we give a generalized version of an adiabatic theorem of higher order due to Nenciu. In all these adiabatic theorems the considered spectral values need not lie on the imaginary axis and in the adiabatic theorems with spectral gap condition and the adiabatic theorem of higher order compact subsets of the spectrum are sufficient (in particular, these subsets need not consist of eigenvalues). We explore the strength of the presented adiabatic theorems in numerous examples. In particular, we show that the theorems of the present work are more general than the previously known theorems. This work was finished in October 2010 and handed in as a diploma thesis at the mathematics department of the University of Stuttgart. The more recent results of Avron, Fraas, Graf und Grech which appeared in the meantime (in June 2011) are therefore not taken into consideration here. We point out, however, that the theorems of the present work are more general than the corresponding theorems of Avron, Fraas, Graf und Grech - with the exception of the adiabatic theorem of higher order which is in no logical relation to the adiabatic theorem of higher order of Avron, Fraas, Graf and Grech. We are about to gather the most important theorems of the present work in an article and will upload it to arXiv soon.

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The Adiabatic Theorem of Quantum Mechanics

J. E. Avron, Alexander Elgart

We prove the adiabatic theorem for quantum evolution without the traditional gap condition. We show that the theorem holds essentially in all cases where it can be formulated. In particular, our result implies that the adiabatic theorem holds also for eigenvalues embedded in the continuous spectrum. If there is information on the Hölder continuity of the spectral measure, then one can also estimate the rate at which the adiabatic limit is approached. The adiabatic theorem of Quantum Mechanics describes the long time behavior of the solutions of an initial value problem where the Hamiltonian generating the evolution depends slowly in time. Traditionally, the theorem is stated for Hamiltonians that have an eigenvalue which is separated by a gap from the rest of the spectrum. Folk wisdom is that a gap condition is a sine qua non for the adiabatic theorem to hold. In particular, according to this folk wisdom, one does not expect a general adiabatic theorem for Hamiltonians that have an eigenvalue embedded in, say, the continuous spectrum. Our purpose is to show that this folk wisdom is wrong, and there is a general adiabatic theorem without a gap condition. All one really needs for the adiabatic theorem is a spectral projection for the Hamiltonian that depends smoothly on time.

•May 25, 1998•67 citations
In this work we generalize some of the previously known adiabatic theorems to situations with non-unitary evolutions in Banach spaces. We prove adiabatic theorems with uniform gap condition (generalizing a theorem of Abou Salem), adiabatic theorems with non-uniform gap condition (generalizing a theorem of Kato) and qualitative as well as quantitative adiabatic theorems without gap condition (generalizing theorems of Avron and Elgart, and Teufel). Additionally, we give a generalized version of an adiabatic theorem of higher order due to Nenciu. In all these adiabatic theorems the considered spectral values need not lie on the imaginary axis and in the adiabatic theorems with spectral gap condition and the adiabatic theorem of higher order compact subsets of the spectrum are sufficient (in particular, these subsets need not consist of eigenvalues). We explore the strength of the presented adiabatic theorems in numerous examples. In particular, we show that the theorems of the present work are more general than the previously known theorems. This work was finished in October 2010 and handed in as a diploma thesis at the mathematics department of the University of Stuttgart. The more recent results of Avron, Fraas, Graf und Grech which appeared in the meantime (in June 2011) are therefore not taken into consideration here. We point out, however, that the theorems of the present work are more general than the corresponding theorems of Avron, Fraas, Graf und Grech - with the exception of the adiabatic theorem of higher order which is in no logical relation to the adiabatic theorem of higher order of Avron, Fraas, Graf and Grech. We are about to gather the most important theorems of the present work in an article and will upload it to arXiv soon.
We prove the adiabatic theorem for quantum evolution without the traditional gap condition. We show that the theorem holds essentially in all cases where it can be formulated. In particular, our result implies that the adiabatic theorem holds also for eigenvalues embedded in the continuous spectrum. If there is information on the Hölder continuity of the spectral measure, then one can also estimate the rate at which the adiabatic limit is approached. The adiabatic theorem of Quantum Mechanics describes the long time behavior of the solutions of an initial value problem where the Hamiltonian generating the evolution depends slowly in time. Traditionally, the theorem is stated for Hamiltonians that have an eigenvalue which is separated by a gap from the rest of the spectrum. Folk wisdom is that a gap condition is a sine qua non for the adiabatic theorem to hold. In particular, according to this folk wisdom, one does not expect a general adiabatic theorem for Hamiltonians that have an eigenvalue embedded in, say, the continuous spectrum. Our purpose is to show that this folk wisdom is wrong, and there is a general adiabatic theorem without a gap condition. All one really needs for the adiabatic theorem is a spectral projection for the Hamiltonian that depends smoothly on time.