Quantum and semi-classical aspects of confined systems with variable mass

Abstract

We explore the quantization of classical models with position-dependent mass terms constrained to a bounded interval in the canonical position. This is achieved through the Weyl–Heisenberg covariant integral quantization by properly choosing a regularizing function Π(q, p) on the phase space that smooths the discontinuities present in the classical model. We thus obtain well-defined operators without requiring the construction of self-adjoint extensions. Simultaneously, the quantization mechanism leads naturally to a semi-classical system, that is, a classical-like model with a well-defined Hamiltonian structure in which the effects of the Planck’s constant are not negligible. Interestingly, for a non-separable function Π(q, p), a purely quantum minimal coupling term arises in the form of a vector potential for both the quantum and semi-classical models.