PT-Symmetry, Canonical Decomposition, Perturbation Theory

Let H be any PT-symmetric Schrödinger operator of the type H=- ² +x ² +igW(x), where W is a real polynomial, odd under reflection of all coordinates, gR, acting on L ² ( R ^d ). The proof is outlined of the following statements: PH is self-adjoint and its eigenvalues coincide with the eigenvalues of (H*H). Moreover the eigenvalues of (H*H), known as the singular values of H, can be computed via perturbation theory by Borel summability.     

Coupled-Mode Analysis of an NRD-Guide Coupler Based on Singular Perturbation Technique

A coupled-mode formulation for an NRD-guide coupler is presented using the singular perturbation technique. The first-order and second-order perturbations are taken into account in the analysis and the coupled-mode equations based on the eigenmodes of each waveguide in isolation are derived. The propagation constants obtained by these equations are compared with those by the exact theory, conventional coupled-mode theory, and improved coupled-mode theory. The numerical results of present formulation are in good agreement with the exact theory and superior to those of the other formulations.     

On the Occurrence of Mass in Field Theory

This paper proves that it is possible to build a Lagrangian for quantum electrodynamics which makes it explicit that the photon mass is eventually set to zero in the physical part on observational ground. Gauge independence is achieved upon considering the joint effect of gauge-averaging term and ghost fields. It remains possible to obtain a counterterm Lagrangian where the only non-gauge-invariant term is proportional to the squared divergence of the potential, while the photon propagator in momentum space falls off like k ^–2 at large k which indeed agrees with perturbative renormalizability. The resulting radiative corrections to the Coulomb potential in QED are also shown to be gauge-independent. The experience acquired with quantum electrodynamics is used to investigate properties and problems of the extension of such ideas to non-Abelian gauge theories.     

Singular Perturbation of Quantum Stochastic Differential Equations with Coupling Through an Oscillator Mode

We consider a physical system which is coupled indirectly to a Markovian resevoir through an oscillator mode. This is the case, for example, in the usual model of an atomic sample in a leaky optical cavity which is ubiquitous in quantum optics. In the strong coupling limit the oscillator can be eliminated entirely from the model, leaving an effective direct coupling between the system an the resevoir. Here we provide a mathematically rigorous treatment of this limit as a weak limit of the time evolution and observables on a suitably chosen exponential domain in Fock space. The resulting effective model may contain emission and absorption as well as scattering interactions. R.v.H. is supported by the Army Research Office under Grant W911NF-06-1-0378.     

Lessons from Quantum Field Theory: Hopf Algebras and Spacetime Geometries

We discuss the prominence of Hopf algebras in recent progress in Quantum Field Theory. In particular, we will consider the Hopf algebra of renormalization, whose antipode turned out to be the key to a conceptual understanding of the subtraction procedure. We shall then describe several occurrences of this, or closely related Hopf algebras, in other mathematical domains, such as foliations, Runge-Kutta methods, iterated integrals and multiple zeta values. We emphasize the unifying role which the Butcher group, discovered in the study of numerical integration of ordinary differential equations, plays in QFT.     

Field Theory Methods in Classical Dynamics

A Dirac picture perturbation theory is developed for the time evolution operator in classical dynamics in the spirit of the Schwinger–Feynman–Dyson perturbation expansion and detailed rules are derived for computations. Complexification formalisms are given for the time evolution operator suitable for phase space analyses, and then extended to a two-dimensional setting for a study of the geometrical Berry phase as an example. Finally a direct integration of Hamilton's equations is shown to lead naturally to a path integral expression, as a resolution of the identity, as applied to arbitrary functions of generalized coordinates and momenta.     

Field Theory on Kappa-spacetime

A general formalism is developed, that allows the construction of field theory on quantum spaces which are deformations of ordinary spacetime. The symmetry group of spacetime is replaced by a quantum group. This formalism is demonstrated for the -deformed Poincaré algebra and its quantum space. The algebraic setting is mapped to the algebra of functions of commuting variables with a suitable -product. Fields are elements of this function algebra. As an example, the Klein-Gordon equation is defined and derived from an action.     

Renormalization of the Friedrichs Hamiltonian

We discuss the construction of the Friedrichs Hamiltonian with singular off-diagonal terms. This construction resembles the renormalization of mass in quantum field theory.     

Pseudo-Hermiticity and Theory of Singular Perturbations

Pseudo-Hermitian operators are studied within the theory of singular perturbations. Necessary and sufficient conditions for the spectra of such operators to be real are presented. A criterion for the similarity of a pseudo-Hermitian operator to an Hermitian one is established.     

Covariant Hamiltonian Field Theory: Path Integral Quantization

The Hamiltonian counterpart of classical Lagrangian field theory is covariant Hamiltonian field theory where momenta correspond to derivatives of fields with respect to all world coordinates. In particular, classical Lagrangian and covariant Hamiltonian field theories are equivalent in the case of a hyperregular Lagrangian, and they are quasi-equivalent if a Lagrangian is almost-regular. In order to quantize covariant Hamiltonian field theory, one usually attempts to construct and quantize a multisymplectic generalization of the Poisson bracket. In the present work, the path integral quantization of covariant Hamiltonian field theory is suggested. We use the fact that a covariant Hamiltonian field system is equivalent to a certain Lagrangian system on a phase space which is quantized in the framework of perturbative quantum field theory. We show that, in the case of almost-regular quadratic Lagrangians, path integral quantizations of associated Lagrangian and Hamiltonian field systems are equivalent.     

Multiscale Basis Functions for Singular Perturbation on Adaptively Graded Meshes

We apply the multiscale basis functions for the singularly perturbed reaction-diffusion problem on adaptively graded meshes, which can provide a good balance between the numerical accuracy and computational cost. The multiscale space is built through standard finite element basis functions enriched with multiscale basis functions. The multiscale basis functions have abilities to capture originally perturbed information in the local problem, as a result, our method is capable of reducing the boundary layer errors remarkably on graded meshes, where the layer-adapted meshes are generated by a given parameter. Through numerical experiments we demonstrate that the multiscale method can acquire second order convergence in the L² norm and first order convergence in the energy norm on graded meshes, which is independent of ε. In contrast with the conventional methods, our method is much more accurate and effective.     

Positivity and Convergence in Fermionic Quantum Field Theory

We derive norm bounds that imply the convergence of perturbation theory in fermionic quantum field theory if the propagator is summable and has a finite Gram constant. These bounds are sufficient for an application in renormalization group studies. Our proof is conceptually simple and technically elementary; it clarifies how the applicability of Gram bounds with uniform constants is related to positivity properties of matrices associated to the procedure of taking connected parts of Gaussian convolutions. This positivity is preserved in the decouplings that also preserve stability in the case of two-body interactions.     

Renormalized Field Theory of Resistor Diode Percolation

We study resistor diode percolation at the transition from the non-percolating to the directed percolating phase. We derive a field theoretic Hamiltonian which describes not only geometric aspects of directed percolation clusters but also their electric transport properties. By employing renormalization group methods we determine the average two-port resistance of critical clusters, which is governed by a resistance exponent . We calculate to two-loop order.     

Renormalizable Quantum Gauge Theory of Gravity

The quantum gravity is formulated based on the principle of local gauge invariance. The model discussedin this paper has local gravitational gauge symmetry, and gravitational field is represented by gauge field. In the leading-order approximation, it gives out classical Newton‘s theory of gravity. In the first-order approximation and for vacuum,it gives out Einstein‘s general theory of relativity. This quantum gauge theory of gravity is a renormalizable quantumtheory.     

The Hopf Algebra Structure of Connes and Kreimer in Epstein–Glaser Renormalization

We show how the Hopf algebra structure of renormalization discovered by Kreimer can be found in the Epstein–Glaser framework without using an analogue of the forest formula of Zimmermann.     

Quantum Field Theory and Dense Measurement

We show, using quantum field theory (QFT), that performing a large number of identical repetitions of the same measurement does not only preserve the initial state of the wave function (the Zeno effect), but also produces additional physicaleffects. We first discuss the Zeno effect in the framework of QFT, that is, as a quantum field phenomenon. We then derive it from QFT for the general case in which the initial and final states are different. We use perturbation theory and Feynman diagrams and refer to the measurement act as an external constraint upon the system that corresponds to the perturbative diagram that denotes this constraint. The basic physical entities dealt with in this work are not the conventional once-perfomed physical processes, but their n times repetition where n tends to infinity. We show that the presence of these repetitions entails the presence of additional excited state energies, and the absence of them entails the absence of these excited energies.     

Renormalizable Quantum Gauge Theory of Gravity

The quantum gravity is formulated based on the principle of local gauge invariance. The model discussed in this paper has local gravitational gauge symmetry, and gravitational field is represented by gauge field. In the leading-order approximation, it gives out classical Newton's theory of gravity. In the first-order approximation and for vacuum, it gives out Einstein's general theory of relativity. This quantum gauge theory of gravity is a renormalizable quantum theory.