Path integral for the relativistic particle and harmonic oscillators

The action for a massive particle in special relativity can be expressed as the invariant proper length between the end points. In principle, one should be able to construct the quantum theory for such a system by the path integral approach using this action. On the other hand, it is well known that the dynamics of a free, relativistic, spinless massive particle is best described by a scalar field which is equivalent to an infinite number of harmonic oscillators. We clarify the connection between these two—apparently dissimilar—approaches by obtaining the Green function for the system of oscillators from that of the relativistic particle. This is achieved through defining the path integral for a relativistic particle rigorously by two separate approaches. This analysis also shows a connection between square root Lagrangians and the system of harmonic oscillators which is likely to be of value in more general context.     

Gravitational geometric phase in the presence of torsion

We investigate the relativistic and non-relativistic quantum dynamics of a neutral spin-1/2 particle subject to an external electromagnetic field in the presence of a cosmic dislocation. We analyze the explicit contribution of the torsion in the geometric phase acquired in the dynamics of this neutral spinorial particle. We discuss the influence of the torsion in the relativistic geometric phase. Using the Foldy–Wouthuysen approximation, the non-relativistic quantum dynamics is studied and the influence of the torsion on the Aharonov–Casher and He–McKellar–Wilkens effects are discussed. An erratum to this article can be found at     

On a relativistic particle and a relativistic position-dependent mass particle subject to the Klein–Gordon oscillator and the Coulomb potential

The relativistic quantum dynamics of an electrically charged particle subject to the Klein–Gordon oscillator and the Coulomb potential is investigated. By searching for relativistic bound states, a particular quantum effect can be observed: a dependence of the angular frequency of the Klein–Gordon oscillator on the quantum numbers of the system. The meaning of this behaviour of the angular frequency is that only some specific values of the angular frequency of the Klein–Gordon oscillator are permitted in order to obtain bound state solutions. As an example, we obtain both the angular frequency and the energy level associated with the ground state of the relativistic system. Further, we analyse the behaviour of a relativistic position-dependent mass particle subject to the Klein–Gordon oscillator and the Coulomb potential.     

Quantum simulation of the Klein paradox with trapped ions

We report on quantum simulations of relativistic scattering dynamics using trapped ions. The simulated state of a scattering particle is encoded in both the electronic and vibrational state of an ion, representing the discrete and continuous components of relativistic wave functions. Multiple laser fields and an auxiliary ion simulate the dynamics generated by the Dirac equation in the presence of a scattering potential. Measurement and reconstruction of the particle wave packet enables a frame-by-frame visualization of the scattering processes. By precisely engineering a range of external potentials we are able to simulate text book relativistic scattering experiments and study Klein tunneling in an analogue quantum simulator. We describe extensions to solve problems that are beyond current classical computing capabilities.     

Particle Trajectories for Quantum Field Theory

The formulation of quantum mechanics developed by Bohm, which can generate well-defined trajectories for the underlying particles in the theory, can equally well be applied to relativistic quantum field theories to generate dynamics for the underlying fields. However, it does not produce trajectories for the particles associated with these fields. Bell has shown that an extension of Bohm’s approach can be used to provide dynamics for the fermionic occupation numbers in a relativistic quantum field theory. In the present paper, Bell’s formulation is adopted and elaborated on, with a full account of all technical detail required to apply his approach to a bosonic quantum field theory on a lattice. This allows an explicit computation of (stochastic) trajectories for massive and massless particles in this theory. Also particle creation and annihilation, and their impact on particle propagation, is illustrated using this model.     

Anandan quantum phase for a neutral particle with Fermi–Walker reference frame in the cosmic string background

We study geometric quantum phases in the relativistic and non-relativistic quantum dynamics of a neutral particle with a permanent magnetic dipole moment interacting with two distinct field configurations in a cosmic string spacetime. We consider the local reference frames of the observers are transported via Fermi–Walker transport and study the influence of the non-inertial effects on the phase shift of the wave function of the neutral particle due to the choice of this local frame. We show that the wave function of the neutral particle acquires non-dispersive relativistic and non-relativistic quantum geometric phases due to the topology of the spacetime, the interaction between the magnetic dipole moment with external fields and the spin–rotation coupling. However, due to the Fermi–Walker reference frame, no phase shift associated to the Sagnac effect appears in the quantum dynamics of a neutral particle. We show that in the absence of topological defect, the contribution to the quantum phase due to the spin–rotation coupling is equivalent to the Mashhoon effect in non-relativistic dynamics.     

Relativistic generalization and extension to the non-Abelian gauge theory of Feynman's proof of the Maxwell equations

R. P. Feynman showed F. J. Dyson a proof of the Lorentz force law and the homogeneous Maxwell equations, which the obtained starting from Newton's law of motion and the commutation relations between position and velocity for a single nonrelativistic particle. We formulate both a special relativistic and a general relativistic versions of Feynman's derivation. Especially in the general relativistic version we prove that the only possible fields that can consistently act on a quantum mechanical particle are scalar, gauge, and gravitational fields. We also extend Feynman's scheme to the case of non-Abelian gauge theory in the special relativistic context.     

Extraordinary Electromagnetic Waves in Weakly Relativistic Degenerate Spin-1/2 Magnetized Quantum Plasmas

By using the relativistic quantum magnetohydrodynamic model, the extraordinary electromagnetic waves in magnetized quantum plasmas are investigated with the effects of particle dispersion associated with the quantum Bohm potential effects, the electron spin-1/2 effects, and the relativistic degenerate pressure effects. The electrons are treated as a quantum and magnetized species, while the ions are classical ones. The new general dispersion relations are derived and analyzed in some interesting special cases. Quantum effects are shown to affect the dispersion relations of the extraordinary electromagnetic waves. It is also shown that the relativistic degenerate pressure effects significantly modify the dispersive properties of the extraordinary electromagnetic waves. The present investigation should be useful for understanding the collective interactions in dense astrophysical bodies,such as the atmosphere of neutron stars and the interior of massive white dwarfs.     

Berry’s phase for a spin 1/2 particle in the presence of topological defects

The relativistic quantum dynamics of a spinorial quantum particle in the presence of a chiral conical background is investigated. We study the gravitational Berry geometric quantum phase acquired by a spin 1/2 particle in the chiral cosmic string spacetime. We obtain the result that this phase depends on the global features of this spacetime. We also consider the case that a string possesses an internal magnetic flux and obtain the geometric quantum phase in this case. The spacetime of multiple chiral cosmic strings is considered and the relativistic Berry quantum phase is also obtained.     

Wigner's pseudo-particle relativistic dynamics in external potential field

The Wigner's pseudo-particle formalism has been generalized to describe quantum dynamics of relativistic particle in external potential field. As a simplest application of the developed formalism the time evolution of the 1D relativistic quantum harmonic oscillator been considered. Due to the complex structure of the evolution equation for Wigner function, the only numerical treatment is possible by combining Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics methods. Relativistic dynamics results in appearance of the new physical effects as opposed to non-relativistic case. Interesting is the complete changing of the shape of the momentum and coordinate distribution functions as well as formation of ‘unexpected’ protuberances. To analyze the influence of relativistic effects on average values of quantum operators, the dependencies on time of average momentum, position, their dispersions and energy have been compared for the non-relativistic and relativistic dynamics.     

Quantum parameter estimation in the Unruh–DeWitt detector model

Relativistic effects on the precision of quantum metrology for particle detectors, such as two-level atoms are studied. The quantum Fisher information is used to estimate the phase sensitivity of atoms in non-inertial motions or in gravitational fields. The Unruh–DeWitt model is applicable to the investigation of the dynamics of a uniformly accelerated atom weakly coupled to a massless scalar vacuum field. When a measuring device is in the same relativistic motion as the atom, the dynamical behavior of quantum Fisher information as a function of Rindler proper time is obtained. It is found out that monotonic decrease in phase sensitivity is characteristic of dynamics of relativistic quantum estimation. The origin of the decay of quantum Fisher information is the thermal bath that the accelerated detector finds itself in due to the Unruh effect. To improve relativistic quantum metrology, we reasonably take into account two reflecting plane boundaries perpendicular to each other. The presence of the reflecting boundary can shield the detector from the thermal bath in some sense.     

Relativistic aberrations in quantum phase space

A phase space treatment of special relativity of quantum systems is developed. In this approach a quantum particle remains localized if subject to inertial transformations, the localization occurring in a finite phase space area. Unlike in the non-relativistic case, relativistic transformations generally distort the phase space distribution function, being equivalent to aberrations in optics. The relativistic aberrations of massive particles are in general different from those of optical images.     

A Process Algebra Approach to Quantum Electrodynamics

The process algebra program is directed towards developing a realist model of quantum mechanics free of paradoxes, divergences and conceptual confusions. From this perspective, fundamental phenomena are viewed as emerging from primitive informational elements generated by processes. The process algebra has been shown to successfully reproduce scalar non-relativistic quantum mechanics (NRQM) without the usual paradoxes and dualities. NRQM appears as an effective theory which emerges under specific asymptotic limits. Space-time, scalar particle wave functions and the Born rule are all emergent in this framework. In this paper, the process algebra model is reviewed, extended to the relativistic setting, and then applied to the problem of electrodynamics. A semiclassical version is presented in which a Minkowski-like space-time emerges as well as a vector potential that is discrete and photon-like at small scales and near-continuous and wave-like at large scales. QED is viewed as an effective theory at small scales while Maxwell theory becomes an effective theory at large scales. The process algebra version of quantum electrodynamics is intuitive and realist, free from divergences and eliminates the distinction between particle, field and wave. Computations are carried out using the configuration space process covering map, although the connection to second quantization has not been fully explored.     

Quantum-classical correspondence of the relativistic equations

According to the Heisenberg correspondence principle, in the classical limit, quantum matrix element of a Hermitian operator reduces to the coefficient of the Fourier expansion of the corresponding classical quantity. In this article, such a quantum-classical connection is generalized to the relativistic regime. For the relativistic free particle or the charged particle moving in a constant magnetic field, it is shown that matrix elements of quantum operators go to quantities in Einstein’s special relativity in the classical limit. Especially, matrix element of the standard velocity operator in the Dirac theory reduces to the classical velocity. Meanwhile, it is shown that the classical limit of quantum expectation value is the time average of the classical variable.     

Special analytical properties of ultrastrong coherent fields

Emerging ultrastrong-laser capabilities that can reveal details of vacuum structure have intensified research into the fundamentals of quantum electrodynamics. It has been more than half a century since relativistic nonperturbative methods were introduced into the study of strong-field phenomena. Much of the early progress remains of fundamental relevance, but is known to only a small group of researchers. The aim of this paper is to reveal some of that work and to show how it impacts on current investigations. A basic result is that it has been shown that strong, single-mode fields (i.e. laser fields) can be treated by relativistic quantum mechanics with results identical to fully quantized electrodynamics. Attention is drawn to the existence of a Volkov Green’s function that has a clear physical interpretation as predicting several series of relativistic Floquet sideband states. It is more transparent and informative than the Volkov Green’s function of Schwinger. It is also shown that the fundamental experiments performed at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center in 1997 on photon-multiphoton pair production could not be a high-order perturbative result, as was presumed by the investigators. The intensity employed was beyond the radius of convergence of perturbation theory, and the seeming perturbative increase in rate with intensity is an artifact. Of particular significance is the demonstration that a free electron in a strong plane-wave field (a “Volkov electron”) exists in an intensity-dependent superposition of angular momentum states, and is no longer a simple spin-1/2 particle.     

Covariant Relativistic Statistical Mechanics of Many Particles

In this paper the quantum covariant relativistic dynamics of many bodies is reconsidered. It is emphasized that this is an event dynamics. The events are quantum statistically correlated by the global parameter τ. The derivation of an event Boltzmann equation emphasizes this. It is shown that this Boltzmann equation may be viewed as exact in a dilute event limit ignoring three event correlations. A quantum entropy principle is obtained for the marginal Wigner distribution function. By means of event linking (concatenations) particle properties such as the equation of state may be obtained. We further reconsider the generalized quantum equilibrium ensemble theory and the free event case of the Fermi-Dirac and Bose-Einstein distributions, and some consequences. The ultra-relativistic limit differs from the non-covariant theory and is a test of this point of view.     

Noncommutative gravity, a ‘no strings attached’ quantum-classical duality, and the cosmological constant puzzle

There ought to exist a reformulation of quantum mechanics which does not refer to an external classical spacetime manifold. Such a reformulation can be achieved using the language of noncommutative differential geometry. A consequence which follows is that the ‘weakly quantum, strongly gravitational’ dynamics of a relativistic particle whose mass is much greater than Planck mass is dual to the ‘strongly quantum, weakly gravitational’ dynamics of another particle whose mass is much less than Planck mass. The masses of the two particles are inversely related to each other, and the product of their masses is equal to the square of Planck mass. This duality explains the observed value of the cosmological constant, and also why this value is nonzero but extremely small in Planck units. Second Award in the 2008 Essay Competition of the Gravity Research Foundation.     

Classical general relativity derived from quantum gravity

The existence of long range macroscopic attractive forces between masses implies the existence of a mediating helicity ± 2 particle in special relativistic quantum particle theory. It is shown that this fact alone, without assuming the existence of an underlying tensor field, uniquely determines the long wavelength structure of quantum gravitation to be that of Einstein's theory. This equivalence is shown by deriving, from the Ward identities associated with the graviton propagator, the tree graph structure of the graviton-graviton and graviton-matter interaction and establishing that the classical Einstein action is the generating functional. Some properties of closed loop effects are also exhibited.     

Consistency of relativistic particle theories

While direct-interaction particle theories are generally thought to be incompatible with relativity in classical physics, such relativistic theories in quantum mechanics have recently attracted attention. The reasons for rejecting these theories in classical physics are based on the consideration of world lines, while relativistic quantum mechanics has no covariant position operator so that the classical refuting argument cannot be adapted.This paper discusses the consistency of relativistic particle theories with a finite number of degrees of freedom, without recourse to the position operator. A particle is described by a sub-algebra of observables at one time. Homogeneous transformations, including accelerations, must preserve the identity of particles, and therefore leave the sub-algebras invariant. It is shown that with this assumption only non-interacting particle theories are compatible with the principle of relativity, in quantum as well as classical mechanics.     

Classical and quantum scattering by a Coulomb potential

For relativistic energies the small-angle classical cross section for scattering on a Coulomb potential agrees with the first Born approximation for quantum cross section for scalar particle only in the leading term. The disagreement in other terms can be avoided if the sum of all corrections to the first Born approximation for large enough Coulomb charge contains the classical terms which are independent of that charge. The difference in classical and quantum cross sections may be partly attributed to the fact that the relativistic quantum particle can rush through the field without interaction. We expect that smaller impact parameters and spin facilitate this effect. The text was submitted by the authors in English.