Self-adjoint Extension Parameter Research Articles

On the spin-1/2 Aharonov-Bohm problem for modified Pöschl-Teller potential, physical regularization and self-adjoint extensions

We study the bound-state energies for a spin-1/2 particle subjected to the modified Poschl-Teller potential and an Aharonov-Bohm field in the nonrelativistic limit. The problem of the $ \delta$ -function singularity which describes the interaction between spin and magnetic flux is solved using two different approaches already known in the literature, the first is a physical regularization based on a redefinition of the Aharonov-Bohm field as a limit of another one which is more physical and less singular. The second is the self-adjoint extensions method, we obtain an expression for the self-adjoint extension parameter in terms of the physics of the problem.

Quantum States of a Neutral Massive Fermion with an Anomalous Magnetic Moment in an External Electric Field

The quantum dynamics of a nonrelativistic neutral massive fermion with an anomalous magnetic moment (AMM) is examined in the external electric field of an infinitely long thin homogeneously charged thread in the plane with a normal directed along the thread. The Hamiltonian of the Dirac–Pauli equation for a neutral fermion with AMM is essentially singular in the considered external field and requires a supplementary extension of the definition in order for it to be treated as a self-adjoint quantum-mechanical operator. All one-parameter self-adjoint extensions of the Hamiltonian of the Dirac–Pauli equation in the considered external field are found in the nonrelativistic approximation. The corresponding Hilbert space of squareintegrable functions, including a singularity point of the Hamiltonian, is specified for each self-adjoint extension of the Hamiltonian. The wave functions of free and bound states, as well as discrete energy levels, are determined by the self-adjoint extension method and their correspondence with similar quantities obtained by the physical regularization procedure is discussed. It is shown that energy levels of bound states are simple poles of the scattering amplitude, which should be extended in definition by introducing the self-adjoint extension parameter into it. Expressions for the scattering amplitude and cross-section, depending on the orientation of the initial-state spin of fermion, are obtained.

Quasi-stationary states and fermion pair creation from a vacuum in supercritical Coulomb field

Creation of charged fermion pair from a vacuum in so-called supercritical Coulomb potential is examined for the case when fermions can move only in the same (one) plane. In which case, quantum dynamics of charged massive or massless fermions can be described by the two-dimensional Dirac Hamiltonians with an usual [Formula: see text] Coulomb potential. These Hamiltonians are singular and require the additional definition in order for them to be treated as self-adjoint quantum-mechanical operators. We construct the self-adjoint two-dimensional Dirac Hamiltonians with a Coulomb potential and determine the quantum-mechanical states for such Hamiltonians in the corresponding Hilbert spaces of square-integrable functions. We determine the scattering amplitude in which the self-adjoint extension parameter is incorporated and then obtain equations implicitly defining possible discrete energy spectra of the self-adjoint Dirac Hamiltonians with a Coulomb potential. It is shown that this quantum system becomes unstable in the presence of a supercritical Coulomb potential which manifests in the appearance of quasi-stationary states in the lower (negative) energy continuum. The energy spectrum of those states is quasi-discrete, consists of broadened levels with widths related to the inverse lifetimes of the quasi-stationary states as well as the probability of creation of charged fermion pair by a supercritical Coulomb field. Explicit analytical expressions for the creation probabilities of charged (massive or massless) fermion pair are obtained in a supercritical Coulomb field.

Majorana fermions in a box

Majorana fermion dynamics may arise at the edge of Kitaev wires or superconductors. Alternatively, it can be engineered by using trapped ions or ultracold atoms in an optical lattice as quantum simulators. This motivates the theoretical study of Majorana fermions confined to a finite volume, whose boundary conditions are characterized by self-adjoint extension parameters. While the boundary conditions for Dirac fermions in $(1+1)$-d are characterized by a 1-parameter family, $\lambda = - \lambda^*$, of self-adjoint extensions, for Majorana fermions $\lambda$ is restricted to $\pm i$. Based on this result, we compute the frequency spectrum of Majorana fermions confined to a 1-d interval. The boundary conditions for Dirac fermions confined to a 3-d region of space are characterized by a 4-parameter family of self-adjoint extensions, which is reduced to two distinct 1-parameter families for Majorana fermions. We also consider the problems related to the quantum mechanical interpretation of the Majorana equation as a single-particle equation. Furthermore, the equation is related to a relativistic Schr\"odinger equation that does not suffer from these problems.

Fate of accidental symmetries of the relativistic hydrogen atom in a spherical cavity

The non-relativistic hydrogen atom enjoys an accidental SO(4) symmetry, that enlarges the rotational SO(3) symmetry, by extending the angular momentum algebra with the Runge–Lenz vector. In the relativistic hydrogen atom the accidental symmetry is partially lifted. Due to the Johnson–Lippmann operator, which commutes with the Dirac Hamiltonian, some degeneracy remains. When the non-relativistic hydrogen atom is put in a spherical cavity of radius R with perfectly reflecting Robin boundary conditions, characterized by a self-adjoint extension parameter γ, in general the accidental SO(4) symmetry is lifted. However, for R=(l+1)(l+2)a (where a is the Bohr radius and l is the orbital angular momentum) some degeneracy remains when γ=∞ or γ=2R. In the relativistic case, we consider the most general spherically and parity invariant boundary condition, which is characterized by a self-adjoint extension parameter. In this case, the remnant accidental symmetry is always lifted in a finite volume. We also investigate the accidental symmetry in the context of the Pauli equation, which sheds light on the proper non-relativistic treatment including spin. In that case, again some degeneracy remains for specific values of R and γ.

Relativistic quantum dynamics of a neutral particle in external electric fields: An approach on effects of spin

The planar quantum dynamics of a spin-1/2 neutral particle interacting with electrical fields is considered. A set of first order differential equations is obtained directly from the planar Dirac equation with nonminimum coupling. New solutions of this system, in particular, for the Aharonov–Casher effect, are found and discussed in detail. Pauli equation is also obtained by studying the motion of the particle when it describes a circular path of constant radius. We also analyze the planar dynamics in the full space, including the r=0 region. The self-adjoint extension method is used to obtain the energy levels and wave functions of the particle for two particular values for the self-adjoint extension parameter. The energy levels obtained are analogous to the Landau levels and explicitly depend on the spin projection parameter.

From doubled Chern–Simons–Maxwell lattice gauge theory to extensions of the toric code

We regularize compact and non-compact Abelian Chern–Simons–Maxwell theories on a spatial lattice using the Hamiltonian formulation. We consider a doubled theory with gauge fields living on a lattice and its dual lattice. The Hilbert space of the theory is a product of local Hilbert spaces, each associated with a link and the corresponding dual link. The two electric field operators associated with the link-pair do not commute. In the non-compact case with gauge group R, each local Hilbert space is analogous to the one of a charged “particle” moving in the link-pair group space R2 in a constant “magnetic” background field. In the compact case, the link-pair group space is a torus U(1)2 threaded by k units of quantized “magnetic” flux, with k being the level of the Chern–Simons theory. The holonomies of the torus U(1)2 give rise to two self-adjoint extension parameters, which form two non-dynamical background lattice gauge fields that explicitly break the manifest gauge symmetry from U(1) to Z(k). The local Hilbert space of a link-pair then decomposes into representations of a magnetic translation group. In the pure Chern–Simons limit of a large “photon” mass, this results in a Z(k)-symmetric variant of Kitaev’s toric code, self-adjointly extended by the two non-dynamical background lattice gauge fields. Electric charges on the original lattice and on the dual lattice obey mutually anyonic statistics with the statistics angle 2πk. Non-Abelian U(k) Berry gauge fields that arise from the self-adjoint extension parameters may be interesting in the context of quantum information processing.

Effects of spin on the dynamics of the 2D Dirac oscillator in the magnetic cosmic string background

In this work the dynamics of a 2D Dirac oscillator in the spacetime of a magnetic cosmic string is considered. It is shown that earlier approaches to this problem have neglected a $$\delta $$ function contribution to the full Hamiltonian, which comes from the Zeeman interaction. The inclusion of spin effects leads to results which confirm a modified dynamics. Based on the self-adjoint extension method, we determined the most relevant physical quantities, such as energy spectrum, wave functions and the self-adjoint extension parameter by applying boundary conditions allowed by the system.

Effect of vacuum polarization of charged massive fermions in an Aharonov–Bohm field

The effect of vacuum polarization of charged massive fermions in an Aharonov-Bohm (AB) potential in 2+1 dimensions is investigated. The causal Green's function of the Dirac equation with the AB potential is represented via the regular and irregular solutions of the two-dimensional radial Dirac equation. It is shown that the vacuum current density contains the contribution from free filled states of the negative energy continuum as well as that from a bound unfilled state, which can emerge in the above background due to the interaction of the fermion spin magnetic moment with the AB magnetic field while the induced charge density contains only the contribution from the bound state. The expressions for the vacuum charge and induced current densities are obtained (recovered for massless fermions) for the graphene in the field of infinitesimally thin solenoid perpendicular to the plane of a sample. We also find the bound state energy as a function of magnetic flux, fermion spin and the radius of solenoid as well as discuss the role of the so-called self-adjoint extension parameter and determine it in terms of the physics of the problem.

On the spin- 1/2 Aharonov–Bohm problem in conical space: Bound states, scattering and helicity nonconservation

In this work the bound state and scattering problems for a spin- 1/2 particle undergone to an Aharonov–Bohm potential in a conical space in the nonrelativistic limit are considered. The presence of a δ-function singularity, which comes from the Zeeman spin interaction with the magnetic flux tube, is addressed by the self-adjoint extension method. One of the advantages of the present approach is the determination of the self-adjoint extension parameter in terms of physics of the problem. Expressions for the energy bound states, phase-shift and S matrix are determined in terms of the self-adjoint extension parameter, which is explicitly determined in terms of the parameters of the problem. The relation between the bound state and zero modes and the failure of helicity conservation in the scattering problem and its relation with the gyromagnetic ratio g are discussed. Also, as an application, we consider the spin- 1/2 Aharonov–Bohm problem in conical space plus a two-dimensional isotropic harmonic oscillator.

On Aharonov–Casher scattering in a CPT-odd Lorentz-violating background

The effects of a Lorentz symmetry-violating background vector on Aharonov–Casher scattering in the nonrelativistic limit are considered. Using the self-adjoint extension method, we find that there is additional scattering for any value of the self-adjoint extension parameter and non-zero energy bound states for negative values of this parameter. Expressions for the energy bound states, phase-shift and scattering matrix are explicitly determined in terms of the self-adjoint extension parameter. The expression obtained for the scattering amplitude reveals that the helicity is not conserved in this scenario.

On Aharonov–Casher bound states

In this work bound states for the Aharonov-Casher problem are considered. According to Hagen's work on the exact equivalence between spin-1/2 Aharonov-Bohm and Aharonov-Casher effects, is known that the $\boldsymbol{\nabla}\cdot\mathbf{E}$ term cannot be neglected in the Hamiltonian if the spin of particle is considered. This term leads to the existence of a singular potential at the origin. By modeling the problem by boundary conditions at the origin which arises by the self-adjoint extension of the Hamiltonian, we derive for the first time an expression for the bound state energy of the Aharonov-Casher problem. As an application, we consider the Aharonov-Casher plus a two-dimensional harmonic oscillator. We derive the expression for the harmonic oscillator energies and compare it with the expression obtained in the case without singularity. At the end, an approach for determination of the self-adjoint extension parameter is given. In our approach, the parameter is obtained essentially in terms of physics of the problem.

Remarks on the Aharonov-Casher dynamics in a CPT-odd Lorentz-violating background

The Aharonov-Casher problem in the presence of a Lorentz-violating background nonminimally coupled to a spinor and a gauge field is examined. Using an approach based on the self-adjoint extension method, an expression for the bound-state energies is obtained in terms of the physics of the problem by determining the self-adjoint extension parameter.

Effects of quantum deformation on the spin-1/2 Aharonov–Bohm problem

In this Letter we study the Aharonov–Bohm problem for a spin-1/2 particle in the quantum deformed framework generated by the κ-Poincaré–Hopf algebra. We consider the nonrelativistic limit of the κ-deformed Dirac equation and use the spin-dependent term to impose an upper bound on the magnitude of the deformation parameter ε. By using the self-adjoint extension approach, we examine the scattering and bound state scenarios. After obtaining the scattering phase shift and the S-matrix, the bound states energies are obtained by analyzing the pole structure of the latter. Using a recently developed general regularization prescription [Phys. Rev. D. 85 (2012) 041701(R)], the self-adjoint extension parameter is determined in terms of the physics of the problem. For last, we analyze the problem of helicity conservation.

Harmonic oscillator in a 1D or 2D cavity with general perfectly reflecting walls

We investigate the simple harmonic oscillator in a 1D box, and the 2D isotropic harmonic oscillator problem in a circular cavity with perfectly reflecting boundary conditions. The energy spectrum has been calculated as a function of the self-adjoint extension parameter. For sufficiently negative values of the self-adjoint extension parameter, there are bound states localized at the wall of the box or the cavity that resonate with the standard bound states of the simple harmonic oscillator or the isotropic oscillator. A free particle in a circular cavity has been studied for the sake of comparison. This work represents an application of the recent generalization of the Heisenberg uncertainty relation related to the theory of self-adjoint extensions in a finite volume.

Self-adjoint extensions for confined electrons: From a particle in a spherical cavity to the hydrogen atom in a sphere and on a cone

In a recent study of the self-adjoint extensions of the Hamiltonian of a particle confined to a finite region of space, in which we generalized the Heisenberg uncertainty relation to a finite volume, we encountered bound states localized at the wall of the cavity. In this paper, we study this situation in detail both for a free particle and for a hydrogen atom centered in a spherical cavity. For appropriate values of the self-adjoint extension parameter, the bound states localized at the wall resonate with the standard hydrogen bound states. We also examine the accidental symmetry generated by the Runge–Lenz vector, which is explicitly broken in a spherical cavity with general Robin boundary conditions. However, for specific radii of the confining sphere, a remnant of the accidental symmetry persists. The same is true for an electron moving on the surface of a finite circular cone, bound to its tip by a 1/r potential.

Physical regularization for the spin-1/2Aharonov-Bohm problem in conical space

We examine the bound state and scattering problem of a spin-one-half particle undergone to an Aharonov-Bohm potential in a conical space in the nonrelativistic limit. The crucial problem of the \delta-function singularity coming from the Zeeman spin interaction with the magnetic flux tube is solved through the self-adjoint extension method. Using two different approaches already known in the literature, both based on the self-adjoint extension method, we obtain the self-adjoint extension parameter to the bound state and scattering scenarios in terms of the physics of the problem. It is shown that such a parameter is the same for both situations. The method is general and is suitable for any quantum system with a singular Hamiltonian that has bound and scattering states.

A FAMILY OF NONCOMMUTATIVE GEOMETRIES

It is shown that the noncommutativity in quantum Hall system may get modified. The self-adjoint extension of the corresponding Hamiltonian leads to a family of noncommutative geometry labeled by the self-adjoint extension parameters. We explicitly perform an exact calculation using a singular interaction and show that, when projected to a certain Landau level, the emergent noncommutative geometries of the projected coordinates belong to a one-parameter family. There is a possibility of obtaining the filling fraction of fractional quantum Hall effect by suitably choosing the value of the self-adjoint extension parameter.

From a particle in a box to the uncertainty relation in a quantum dot and to reflecting walls for relativistic fermions

We consider a 1-parameter family of self-adjoint extensions of the Hamiltonian for a particle confined to a finite interval with perfectly reflecting boundary conditions. In some cases, one obtains negative energy states which seem to violate the Heisenberg uncertainty relation. We use this as a motivation to derive a generalized uncertainty relation valid for an arbitrarily shaped quantum dot with general perfectly reflecting walls in d dimensions. In addition, a general uncertainty relation for non-Hermitian operators is derived and applied to the non-Hermitian momentum operator in a quantum dot. We also consider minimal uncertainty wave packets in this situation, and we prove that the spectrum depends monotonically on the self-adjoint extension parameter. In addition, we construct the most general boundary conditions for semiconductor heterostructures such as quantum dots, quantum wires, and quantum wells, which are characterized by a 4-parameter family of self-adjoint extensions. Finally, we consider perfectly reflecting boundary conditions for relativistic fermions confined to a finite volume or localized on a domain wall, which are characterized by a 1-parameter family of self-adjoint extensions in the ( 1 + 1 ) - d and ( 2 + 1 ) - d cases, and by a 4-parameter family in the ( 3 + 1 ) - d and ( 4 + 1 ) - d cases.

QUANTIZATION OF EXCITON IN MAGNETIC FIELD BACKGROUND

The possible mismatch between the theoretical and experimental absorption edge peaks in semiconductors in a magnetic field background may arise due to the approximation scheme used to analytically calculate the absorption coefficient. As a possible remedy we suggest to consider nontrivial boundary conditions on x–y plane by in-equivalently quantizing the exciton in background magnetic field. This inequivalent quantization is based on von Neumann's method of self-adjoint extension, which is characterized by a parameter Σ. We obtain bound state solution and scattering state solution, which in general depend upon the self-adjoint extension parameter Σ. The parameter Σ can be used to fine tune the optical absorption coefficient K(Σ) to match with the experiment.