Exact WKB Analysis and TBA Equations for the Stark Effect

Abstract

Abstract We apply the exact Wentzel–Kramers–Brillouin (WKB) analysis to a couple of 1D Schrödinger-type equations reduced from the Stark effect of hydrogen in a uniform electric field. By introducing Langer’s modification and incorporating the Stokes graphs, we prove the exactness of the Bohr–Sommerfeld quantization conditions for the Borel-resummed quantum WKB periods in the specific parameter regions of the electric field intensity and magnetic quantum number. It is also found these quantization conditions get modified with an additional suppressed contribution when the parameters vary beyond the specific regions. We also present thermodynamic Bethe ansatz (TBA) equations governing the quantum periods in the absence of Langer’s modification and discuss its wall-crossing and analytic continuation. Numerical calculations are conducted to compare the complex resonant frequencies from our quantization conditions against ones from the Riccati–Padé method; the TBA equations are also confirmed by comparing its expansions with all-order quantum periods.