Corrected Maslov index for complex saddle trajectories.

Abstract

Saddle-point approximations, extremely important in a wide variety of physical contexts, require the analytical continuation of canonically conjugate quantities to complex variables in quantum mechanics. An important component of this approximation's implementation is arriving at the phase correction attributable to caustics, which involves determinantal prefactors. The common prescription of using the inverse of half a certain determinant's total accumulated phase sometimes leads to sign errors. The root of this problem is traced to the zeros of the determinants at complex times crossing the real time axis. Deformed complex time contours around the zeros can repair the sign errors that sometimes occur, but a much more practical way is given that links saddles back to associated real trajectories and avoids the necessity of locating the complex time zeros of the determinants.