The influence of classical resonances on quantum energy levels

Abstract

In this paper, we examine the behavior of the quantum energy levels of a coupled oscillator system as the zero-order frequencies are varied to carry the corresponding classical system through a resonance. We find that the levels exhibit a pattern that is characteristic of the resonance. This pattern consists of clusters of levels, each containing a number of curves that run roughly parallel to one another and a number of curves that undergo pairwise narrowly avoided crossings. Adiabatic switching calculations show that the ‘‘parallel’’ curves are associated with states within the classical resonance region, while the narrowly avoiding curves are associated with states that are outside this region. It is further shown that the curves describing resonance states are formed from zero-order nonresonant curves by the overlap of many avoided crossings. This reorganization of multiply intersecting lines into parallel curves reflects the classical reorganization of phase space at a resonance.