Exact L series solution of the Dirac-Coulomb problem for all energies

We obtain exact solution of the Dirac equation with the Coulomb potential as an infinite series of square integrable functions. This solution is for all energies, the discrete as well as the continuous. The spinor basis elements are written in terms of the confluent hypergeometric functions and chosen such that the matrix representation of the Dirac-Coulomb operator is tridiagonal. The wave equation results in a three-term recursion relation for the expansion coefficients of the wavefunction which is solved in terms of the Meixner-Pollaczek polynomials.     

Formal solutions of stargenvalue equations

The formal solution of a general stargenvalue equation is presented, its properties studied and a geometrical interpretation given in terms of star-hypersurfaces in quantum phase space. Our approach deals with discrete and continuous spectra in a unified fashion and includes a systematic treatment of nondiagonal stargenfunctions. The formalism is used to obtain a complete formal solution of Wigner quantum mechanics in the Heisenberg picture and to write a general formula for the stargenfunctions of Hamiltonians quadratic in the phase space variables in arbitrary dimension. A variety of systems is then used to illustrate the former results.     

Tunneling in a “breathing” double well: Adiabatic and antiadiabatic limits and tunneling suppression

Tunneling in a piecewise harmonic potential coupled to a harmonic oscillator is considered by means of the path integral technique. The reduced propagator for the tunneling particle is calculated explicitly and the tunneling splitting is found in semiclassical approximation. The result holds for arbitrary values of the parameters of the system. From this the adiabatic and antiadiabatic approximations are obtained as particular cases and compared with the results obtained differently. The limit of a strong interaction is also considered. It is found that for strong interaction or equivalently for the harmonic frequency tending to zero the preexponential factor in the tunneling splitting tends to zero which results in a suppression of tunneling. Implications of this result for tunneling in a more general potential are discussed.     

How to introduce time operator

Time operator can be introduced by three different approaches: by pertaining it to dynamical variables; by quantizing the classical expression of time; and taken as the restriction of energy shift generator to the Hilbert space of a physical system.     

Exact solution of the Klein-Gordon equation in the presence of a minimal length

We obtain exact solutions of the (1+1)-dimensional Klein-Gordon equation with linear vector and scalar potentials in the presence of a minimal length. Algebraic approach to the problem has also been studied.     

Solutions of nonrelativistic Schrödinger equation from relativistic Klein-Gordon equation

The relativistic one-dimensional Klein-Gordon equation can be exactly solved for a certain class of potentials. But the nonrelativistic Schrödinger equation is not necessarily solvable for the same potentials. It may be possible to obtain approximate solutions for the inexact nonrelativistic potential from the relativistic exact solutions by systematically removing relativistic portion. We search for the possibility with the harmonic oscillator potential and the Coulomb potential, both of which can be exactly solvable nonrelativistically and relativistically. Though a rigorous algebraic approach is not deduced yet, it is found that the relativistic exact solutions can be a good starting point for obtaining the nonrelativistic solutions.     

(1+1)-Dirac Particle with Position-Dependent Mass in Complexified Lorentz Scalar Interactions: Effectively $\mathcal{PT}$ -Symmetric

The effect of the built-in supersymmetric quantum mechanical language on the spectrum of the (1+1)-Dirac equation, with position-dependent mass (PDM) and complexified Lorentz scalar interactions, is re-emphasized. The signature of the “quasi-parity” on the Dirac particles’ spectra is also studied. A Dirac particle with PDM and complexified scalar interactions of the form S(z)=S(x−ib) (an inversely linear plus linear, leading to a symmetric oscillator model), and S(x)=S _r (x)+iS _i (x) (a -symmetric Scarf II model) are considered. Moreover, a first-order intertwining differential operator and an η-weak-pseudo-Hermiticity generator are presented and a complexified -symmetric periodic-type model is used as an illustrative example.     

Strong causality from weak via continuous monitoring

Repeated unbiased measurements cause a continual application of the weak causality principle, leading to an apparent arrow of time for continuously-monitored quantum systems.     

Admissible states in quantum phase space

We address the question of which phase space functionals might represent a quantum state. We derive necessary and sufficient conditions for both pure and mixed phase space quantum states. From the pure state quantum condition we obtain a formula for the momentum correlations of arbitrary order and derive explicit expressions for the wave functions in terms of time-dependent and independent Wigner functions. We show that the pure state quantum condition is preserved by the Moyal (but not by the classical Liouville) time evolution and is consistent with a generic stargenvalue equation. As a by-product Baker's converse construction is generalized both to an arbitrary stargenvalue equation, associated to a generic phase space symbol, as well as to the time-dependent case. These results are properly extended to the mixed state quantum condition, which is proved to imply the Heisenberg uncertainty relations. Globally, this formalism yields the complete characterization of the kinematical structure of Wigner quantum mechanics. The previous results are then succinctly generalized for various quasi-distributions. Finally, the formalism is illustrated through the simple examples of the harmonic oscillator and the free Gaussian wave packet. As a by-product, we obtain in the former example an integral representation of the Hermite polynomials.     

Extension of PT-symmetric quantum mechanics to the Dirac theory with position-dependent mass

We present a new method to construct the exactly solvable PT-symmetric potentials within the framework of the position-dependent effective mass Dirac equation with the vector potential coupling scheme in 1 + 1 dimensions. In order to illustrate the procedure, we produce three PT-symmetric potentials as examples, which are PT-symmetric harmonic oscillator-like potential, PT-symmetric potential with the form of a linear potential plus an inversely linear potential, and PT-symmetric kink-like potential, respectively. The real relativistic energy levels and corresponding spinor components for the bound states are obtained by using the basic concepts of the supersymmetric quantum mechanics formalism and function analysis method.     

On the quantum motion of a generalized time-dependent forced harmonic oscillator

In this work, we use linear invariants and the dynamical invariant method to obtain exact solutions of the Schrödinger equation for the generalized time-dependent forced harmonic oscillator in terms of solutions of a second order ordinary differential equation that describes the amplitude of the classical unforced damped oscillator. In addition, we construct Gaussian wave packet solutions and calculate the fluctuations in coordinate and momentum as well as the quantum correlations between coordinate and momentum. It is shown that the width of the Gaussian packet, fluctuations and correlations do not depend on the external force. As a particular case, we consider the forced Caldirola-Kanai oscillator.     

Phase-Dependent Effects in Stern-Gerlach Experiments

In the frame of quantum mechanics, we consider an ensemble of spin-1/2 neutral particles passing through a Stern-Gerlach apparatus and explore how their motions depend on the initial phase difference between two internal spin states. Assuming the particles moving along y-axis, due to the initial phase difference between spin states, they not only split along the longitudinal direction （z-axis） but also separate along the lateral direction （x-axis）. The dependence of the lateral displacement on the initial phase difference reminds one of the picture of a quantum interference. This generalized interference provides an alternative approach to measuring the initial phase difference. The experimental realization with ultracold atoms or Bose-Einstein condensates is also discussed.     

Operator equations and Moyal products–metrics in quasi-Hermitian quantum mechanics

The Moyal product is used to cast the equation for the metric of a non-Hermitian Hamiltonian in the form of a differential equation. For Hamiltonians of the form p²+V(ix)$p^2+V(ix)$ with V polynomial this is an exact equation. Solving this equation in perturbation theory recovers known results. Explicit criteria for the hermiticity and positive definiteness of the metric are formulated on the functional level.     

Path integral for a neutral spinning particle in interaction with a rotating magnetic field and a scalar potential

In this paper we consider a neutral spinning particle in interaction with a linear increasing rotating magnetic field and a scalar harmonic potential using the path integral formalism. The Pauli matrices which describe the spin dynamics are replaced by two fermionic oscillators via the Schwinger’s model. The calculations are carried out explicitly using fermionic exterior current sources. The problem is then reduced to that of a spinning forced harmonic particle whose spin is coupled to exterior derivative current sources. The result of the propagator is given as a series which is exactly summed up by means of the Laplace transformation and the use of some recurrence formula of the oscillator wave functions. The energy spectrum and the corresponding wave functions are also deduced.     

Generalized Supersymmetric Perturbation Theory

Using the basic ingredient of supersymmetry, a simple alternative approach is developed to perturbation theory in one-dimensional non-relativistic quantum mechanics. The formulae for the energy shifts and wavefunctions do not involve tedious calculations which appear in the available perturbation theories. The model applicable in the same form to both the ground state and excited bound states, unlike the recently introduced supersymmetric perturbation technique which, together with other approaches based on logarithmic perturbation theory, are involved within the more general framework of the present formalism.     

Perturbed Coulomb potentials in the Klein-Gordon equation via the asymptotic iteration method

The asymptotic iteration method is used to construct the exact energy eigenvalues for a Lorentz vector or a Lorentz scalar, and an equally mixed Lorentz vector and Lorentz scalar Coulombic potentials. Highly accurate and rapidly converging ground-state energies for Lorentz vector Coulomb with a Lorentz vector or a Lorentz scalar linear potential, , respectively, are obtained.     

Scattering of a relativistic scalar particle by a cusp potential

We solve the Klein–Gordon equation in the presence of a spatially one-dimensional cusp potential. The scattering solutions are obtained in terms of Whittaker functions and the condition for the existence of transmission resonances is derived. We show the dependence of the zero-reflection condition on the shape of the potential. In the low-momentum limit, transmission resonances are associated with half-bound states. We express the condition for transmission resonances in terms of the phase shifts.     

Comparison of quasilinear and WKB approximations

It is shown that the quasilinearization method (QLM) sums the WKB series. The method approaches solution of the Riccati equation (obtained by casting the Schrödinger equation in a nonlinear form) by approximating the nonlinear terms by a sequence of the linear ones, and is not based on the existence of a smallness parameter. Each pth QLM iterate is expressible in a closed integral form. Its expansion in powers of reproduces the structure of the WKB series generating an infinite number of the WKB terms. Coefficients of the first 2^p terms of the expansion are exact while coefficients of a similar number of the next terms are approximate. The quantization condition in any QLM iteration, including the first, leads to exact energies for many well known physical potentials such as the Coulomb, harmonic oscillator, Pöschl–Teller, Hulthen, Hyleraas, Morse, Eckart, etc.