Spectrum generating algebra for the continuous spectrum of a free particle in Lobachevski space

Abstract

In this paper, we construct a Spectrum Generating Algebra (SGA) for a quantum system with purely continuous spectrum: the quantum free particle in a Lobachevski space with constant negative curvature. The SGA contains the geometrical symmetry algebra of the system plus a subalgebra of operators that give the spectrum of the system and connects the eigenfunctions of the Hamiltonian among themselves. In our case, the geometrical symmetry algebra is $\mathfrak {so}(3,1)$so(3,1) and the SGA is $\mathfrak {so}(4,2)$so(4,2). We start with a representation of $\mathfrak {so}(4,2)$so(4,2) by functions on a realization of the Lobachevski space given by a two-sheeted hyperboloid, where the Lie algebra commutators are the usual Poisson-Dirac brackets. Then, we introduce a quantized version of the representation in which functions are replaced by operators on a Hilbert space and Poisson-Dirac brackets by commutators. Eigenfunctions of the Hamiltonian are given and “naive” ladder operators are identified. The previously defined “naive” ladder operators shift the eigenvalues by a complex number so that an alternative approach is necessary. This is obtained by a non-self-adjoint function of a linear combination of the ladder operators, which gives the correct relation among the eigenfunctions of the Hamiltonian. We give an eigenfunction expansion of functions over the upper sheet of a two-sheeted hyperboloid in terms of the eigenfunctions of the Hamiltonian.