The theory of the cyclotron resonance line half-width in limited-size systems

Many-phonon optical transitions between Landau levels and size quantization levels in a longitudinal magnetic field are investigated in solitary quantum wells. The developed theory makes it possible to describe the intensity of the cyclotron resonance line as well as the temperature and field dependences of its half-width. The theoretical results are compared with experimental data. It is shown that when the interaction between electrons and optical phonons is taken into account, phonon satellites may appear as a result of an electron transition between the size quantization levels and magnetic levels.     

Deformation Quantization for Systems with Fermions

Deformation quantization, which achieves the passage from classical mechanics to quantum mechanics by the replacement of the pointwise multiplication of functions on phase space by the star product, is a powerful tool for treating systems involving bosonic degrees of freedom, both in quantum mechanics and in quantum field theory. In the present paper we show how these methods may be naturally extended to systems involving fermions. In particular we show how supersymmetric quantum mechanics can be formulated in this approach and consider examples involving both non-relativistic and relativistic systems.     

Comprehensive solution to the cosmological constant,zero-point energy,and quantum gravity problems

We present a solution to the cosmological constant, the zero-point energy, and the quantum gravity problems within a single comprehensive framework. We show that in quantum theories of gravity in which the zero-point energy density of the gravitational field is well-defined, the cosmological constant and zero-point energy problems solve each other by mutual cancellation between the cosmological constant and the matter and gravitational field zero-point energy densities. Because of this cancellation, regulation of the matter field zero-point energy density is not needed, and thus does not cause any trace anomaly to arise. We exhibit our results in two theories of gravity that are well-defined quantum-mechanically. Both of these theories are locally conformal invariant, quantum Einstein gravity in two dimensions and Weyl-tensor-based quantum conformal gravity in four dimensions (a fourth-order derivative quantum theory of the type that Bender and Mannheim have recently shown to be ghost-free and unitary). Central to our approach is the requirement that any and all departures of the geometry from Minkowski are to be brought about by quantum mechanics alone. Consequently, there have to be no fundamental classical fields, and all mass scales have to be generated by dynamical condensates. In such a situation the trace of the matter field energy-momentum tensor is zero, a constraint that obliges its cosmological constant and zero-point contributions to cancel each other identically, no matter how large they might be. In our approach quantization of the gravitational field is caused by its coupling to quantized matter fields, with the gravitational field not needing any independent quantization of its own. With there being no a priori classical curvature, one does not have to make it compatible with quantization.     

Quantum Mechanics in Curved Configuration Space

Different approaches are compared to formulation of quantum mechanics of a particle on the curved spaces. At first, the canonical, quasiclassical, and path integration formalisms are considered for quantization of geodesic motion on the Riemannian configuration spaces. A unique rule of ordering of operators in the canonical formalism and a unique definition of the path integral are established and, thus, a part of ambiguities in the quantum counterpart of geodesic motion is removed. A geometric interpretation is proposed for noninvariance of the quantum mechanics on coordinate transformations. An approach alternative to the quantization of geodesic motion is surveyed, which starts with the quantum theory of a neutral scalar field. Consequences of this alternative approach and the three formalisms of quantization are compared. In particular, the field theoretical approach generates a deformation of the canonical commutation relations between operators of coordinates and momenta of a particle. A cosmological consequence of the deformation is presented in short.     

Quantization of the Sphere with Coherent States

Current views link quantization with dynamics. The reason is that quantum mechanics or quantum field theories address to dynamical systems, i.e., particles or fields. Our point of view here breaks the link between quantization and dynamics: any (classical) physical system can be quantized. Only dynamical systems lead to dynamical quantum theories, which appear to result from the quantization of symplectic structures.     

Star products and geometric algebra

The formalism of geometric algebra can be described as deformed super analysis. The deformation is done with a fermionic star product, that arises from deformation quantization of pseudoclassical mechanics. If one then extends the deformation to the bosonic coefficients of superanalysis one obtains quantum mechanics for systems with spin. This approach clarifies on the one hand the relation between Grassmann and Clifford structures in geometric algebra and on the other hand the relation between classical mechanics and quantum mechanics. Moreover it gives a formalism that allows to handle classical and quantum mechanics in a consistent manner.     

Modulation effects of rotating radiofrequency field in forward nuclear scattering of synchrotron radiation

The quantization of a nuclear angular momentum in the rotating hyperfine (HF) field of any frequency is theoretically studied in resonant forward scattering of synchrotron radiation (SR). The adiabatically slow rotation of the quantization axis does not perturb the multilevel structure of nuclear states created by the static hyperfine interaction. It follows directly from the pattern of quantum beats of a resonant response (RR) to an SR pulse. When the rotation frequency is of the order of the Larmor frequencies, determining the stationary HF sublevels, the pattern of quantum beats of an RR is formed by the nuclear resonant transitions between quasienergy levels. At the rotation frequency much larger than the Larmor frequencies the multilevel structure of nuclear states results from the quadrupole interaction only. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Interference and interaction in Schrödinger's wave mechanics

Reminiscing on the fact that E. Schrödinger was rooted in the same physical tradition as M. Planck and A. Einstein, some aspects of his attitude to quantum mechanics are discussed. In particular, it is demonstrated that the quantum-mechanical paradoxes assumed by Einstein and Schrödinger should not exist, but that otherwise the epistemological problem of physical reality raised in this context by Einstein and Schrödinger is fundamental for our understanding of quantum theory. The nonexistence of such paradoxes just shows that quantum-mechanical effects are due to interference and not to interaction. This line of argument leads consequently to quantum field theories with second quantization, and accordingly quantum theory based both on Planck's constant h and on Democritus's atomism.     

The generalized Fényes-Nelson model for free scalar field theory

The generalized Fényes-Nelson model of quantum mechanics is applied to the free scalar field. The resulting Markov field is equivalent to the Euclidean Markov field with the times scaled by a common factor which depends on the diffusion parameter. This result is consistent with Guerra's earlier work on stochastic quantization of scalar fields. It suggests a deep connection between Euclidean field theory and the stochastic interpretation of quantum mechanics. The question of Lorentz covariance is also discussed.     

The Aharonov-Bohm effect: Why it cannot be eliminated from quantum mechanics

The Aharonov-Bohm effect is a necessary and easily understood feature of conventional quantum mechanics. Attempts to remove it from the theory must involve a drastic change in our understanding of the quantization and conservation of angular momentum, or of the role of the classical equations of motion in quantum mechanics. The key point is that a charged particle is the source of an electric field which will penetrate a magnetic field from which the particle is excluded. The crossed fields contain angular momentum whose existence alters the motion of the particle because the total angular momentum is quantized.     

Relativistic Quantum Mechanics and Field Theory

The problems which arise for a relativistic quantum mechanics are reviewed and critically examined in connection with the foundations of quantum field theory. The conflict between the quantum mechanical Hilbert space structure, the locality property and the gauge invariance encoded in the Gauss' law is discussed in connection with the various quantization choices for gauge fields.     

Quantum mechanics of classically non-integrable systems

In the semiclassical limit, quantum mechanics shows differences between classically integrable abd chaotic systems. Here we review recent developments in this field. Topics dealt with include formal integrability of quantum mechanics, semiclassical quantization, statistical properties of eigenvalues, semiclassical eigenfunctions, effects on the time-evolution and localization due to classical diffusion. A large bibliography supplements the text.     

Astrophysical structures from primordial quantum black holes

The characteristic sizes of astrophysical structures, up to the whole observed Universe, can be recovered, in principle, assuming that gravity is the overall interaction assembling systems starting from microscopic scales, whose order of magnitude is ruled by the Planck length and the related Compton wavelength. This result agrees with the absence of screening mechanisms for the gravitational interaction and could be connected to the presence of Yukawa corrections in the Newtonian potential which introduce typical interaction lengths. This result directly comes out from quantization of primordial black holes and then characteristic interaction lengths directly emerge from quantum field theory.     

Effective potentials and the onset of quantization in ultrasmall MOSFETs

The connection between the minimum size of an electron wavepacket, and the introduction of an effective potential is discussed. The effective potential approach has a long history of use in trying to transition the gap between classical mechanics and quantum mechanics. An effective potential is one in which the quasi-classical regime is approximated through a density which arises from the effective potential W(x) through exp[ − βW(x)]. The generation of the effective potentialW (x) gives the effects of the onset of quantization in the system. In this paper, we study the use of the effective potential in a triangular well formed between the oxide and the depletion field of the semiconductor. We determine the quantization energy of the carriers in the potential well and their mean set-back from the interface. Finally, we show the connection between the effective potential and the Bohm-derived quantum potentials that have become of interest in simulations.     

Toward a Finite-Dimensional Formulation of Quantum Field Theory

Rules of quantization and equations of motion for a finite-dimensional formulation of quantum field theory are proposed which fulfill the following properties: (a) Both the rules of quantization and the equations of motion are covariant; (b) the equations of evolution are second order in derivatives and first order in derivatives of the spacetime coordinates; and (c) these rules of quantization and equations of motion lead to the usual (canonical) rules of quantization and the (Schrödinger) equation of motion of quantum mechanics in the particular case of mechanical systems. We also comment briefly on further steps to fully develop a satisfactory quantum field theory and the difficuties which may be encountered when doing so.     

Canonical quantization of gravity and quantum geometrodynamics

A representation in the form of the Faddeev-Popov path integral is constructed for solving the equations of quantum geometrodynamics (QGD). It is shown that QGD is equivalent to canonical quantization of gravity in a unitary gauge. Given the state of the gravitational field on the initial Cauchy hypersurface, a wave function of closed universe is constructed so that it satisfies the QGD equations. Using the principles of canonical quantization, a probabilistic interpretation of this wave function is constructed in a fashion close to Everett's concepts of quantum mechanics.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 3, pp. 37–51, March, 1986.     

A Continuous Transition Between Quantum and Classical Mechanics. I

In spite of its popularity, it has not been possible to vindicate the conventional wisdom that classical mechanics is a limiting case of quantum mechanics. The purpose of the present paper is to offer an alternative formulation of mechanics which provides a continuous transition between quantum and classical mechanics via environment-induced decoherence.     

量子相变与几何相位

量子相变是凝聚态物理中的重要研究课题，而几何相位的发现是近几十年来量子力学中的重要进展，它们毫无关联地各自发展。但最近的研究表明，它们之间有密切联系：多体体系基态的几何相位在量子相变点附近具有标度性；不可收缩的几何相位可用来作为量子相变的标志等，文章将介绍最近在量子相变和几何相位的关系方面的研究进展，并用XY自旋链模型来详细说明．这些结果应会吸引凝聚态和几何相位领域工作的研究人员的关注和兴趣。     

Geometric Proof of Exact Quantization Rules in One Dimensional Quantum Mechanics

In terms of the construction of vector field with momentum and logarithmic derivative of wavefunction as its components, a geometric proof of an exact quantization rule in one dimensional quantum mechanics systems is given. The quantization rule arises from the SO(2) gauge transformation. In addition, the quantization rule is generalized to the case when the potential function is piecewise continuous between the two turning points. This work was supported by doctoral foundation of HPU.