The dynamics of a class of quantum mean-field theories

Abstract

An infinite quantum system with correctly defined dynamics τQ as an automorphism group of a C*-algebra 𝒞 of observables is determined by any continuous unitary representation U(G) of a connected Lie group G, as well as by an arbitrary differentiable real function Q on the dual space 𝔤* to the Lie algebra 𝔤 of G with the canonically defined Poisson flow φQ on 𝔤*. For specific choices of Q and G, the system can be obtained as the thermodynamic limit of a net of finite lattice systems with the mean-field type interaction of Hepp and Lieb [Helv. Phys. Acta 46, 573 (1973)]. A simple nontrivial model of this type is the quasispin BCS model of superconductivity in the strong coupling limit, or a corresponding model of the Josephson junction. A peculiar feature of the considered models is τQ noninvariance of the usually considered C*-algebra 𝒜 of quasilocal observables, as well as an important role of classical dynamics of a set of macroscopic (intensive) observables Qφ in the description of τQ. The work is restricted here to norm-continuous representations U(G), in which case 𝒞 is isomorphic to the tensor product 𝒜⊗𝒩, where 𝒩 is the commutative algebra of classical (intensive) observables of the considered infinite quantum system.