In a rigorous construction of the path integral for supersymmetric quantum mechanics on a Riemann manifold, based on Bär and Pfäffle's use of piecewise geodesic paths, the kernel of the time evolution operator is the heat kernel for the Laplacian on forms. The path integral is approximated by the integral of a form on the space of piecewise geodesic paths which is the pullback by a natural section of Mathai and Quillen's Thom form of a bundle over this space.
In the case of closed paths, the bundle is the tangent space to the space of geodesic paths, and the integral of this form passes in the limit to the supertrace of the heat kernel.
We give a rigorous construction of the path integral in N=1/2 supersymmetry as an integral map for differential forms on the loop space of a compact spin manifold. It is defined on the space of differential forms which can be represented by extended iterated integrals in the sense of Chen and Getzler-Jones-Petrack. Via the iterated integral map, we compare our path integral to the non-commutative loop space Chern character of Güneysu and the second author. Our theory provides a rigorous background to various formal proofs of the Atiyah-Singer index theorem using supersymmetric path integrals, …
This is a survey based on joint work with Florian Hanisch and Batu Güneysu reporting on a rigorous construction of the supersymmetric path integral associated to compact spin manifolds.
We describe the generalization of the recently derived solutions of D=2 supersymmetric Yang-Mills quantum mechanics with SU(3) gauge group to the generic case of SU(N) gauge group. We discuss the spectra and eigensolutions in bosonic as well as fermionic sectors.
We derive the spectra of D=2, SU(3) supersymmetric Yang-Mills quantum mechanics in all fermionic sectors. Moreover, we provide exact expressions for the corresponding eigenvectors in the sectors with none and one fermionic quantum. We also generalize our results obtained in a cut Fock space to the infinite cut-off limit.
We consider a realization of supersymmetric quantum mechanics where supercharges are differential-difference operators with reflections. A supersymmetric system with an extended Scarf I potential is presented and analyzed. Its eigenfunctions are given in terms of little -1 Jacobi polynomials which obey an eigenvalue equation of Dunkl type and arise as a q-> -1 limit of the little q-Jacobi polynomials. Intertwining operators connecting the wave functions of extended Scarf I potentials with different parameters are presented.
We reexamine the relation between contact structures on supermanifolds and supersymmetric mechanics in the superspace formulation. This allows one to use the language of contact geometry when dealing with the d = 1, N = 2 super-Poincare algebra.
We consider some simple examples of supersymmetric quantum mechanical systems and explore their possible geometric interpretation with the help of geometric aspects of real Clifford algebras. This leads to natural extensions of the considered systems to higher dimensions and more complicated potentials.
We use the geometry of the space of fields for gauged supersymmetric mechanics to construct the twisted differential equivariant K-theory of a manifold with an action by a finite group.
It is shown that the Hamilton equations in supersymmetric quantum mechanics can be presented in nonassociative form, where the Hamiltonian is decomposed into two nonassociative factors.
This paper constitutes a review on N=2 fractional supersymmetric Quantum Mechanics of order k. The presentation is based on the introduction of a generalized Weyl-Heisenberg algebra W_k. It is shown how a general Hamiltonian can be associated with the algebra W_k. This general Hamiltonian covers various supersymmetrical versions of dynamical systems (Morse system, Poschl-Teller system, fractional supersymmetric oscillator of order k, etc.). The case of ordinary supersymmetric Quantum Mechanics corresponds to k=2. A connection between fractional supersymmetric Quantum Mechanics and ordinary sup…
Relativistic arbitrary spin Hamiltonians are shown to obey the algebraic structure of supersymmetric quantum system if their odd and even parts commute. This condition is identical to that required for the exactness of the Foldy-Wouthuysen transformation. Applied to a massive charged spin-$1$ particle in a constant magnetic field, supersymmetric quantum mechanics necessarily requires a gyromagnetic factor $g=2$.
We show that in many cases nontrivial and complicated supersymmetric quantum mechanical (SQM) models can be obtained from the simple model describing free dynamics in flat complex space by two operations: (i) Hamiltonian reduction and (ii) similarity transformation of the complex supercharges. We conjecture that it is true for any SQM model.
We prove the uniqueness of the ground state for a supersymmetric quantum mechanical system of two fermions and two bosons, which is closely related to the N=1 WZ-model. The proof is constructive and gives detailed information on what the ground state looks like.
Many introductory courses in quantum mechanics include Feynman's time-slicing definition of the path integral, with a complete derivation of the propagator in the simplest of cases. However, attempts to generalize this, for instance to non-quadratic potentials, encounter formidable analytic issues in showing the successive approximations in fact converge to a definite expression for the path integral. The present work describes how to carry out the analysis for a class of Lagrangians broad enough to include the evolution, in imaginary time, of spinors constrained to live on a Riemannian manifo…
BiHermitian geometry, discovered long ago by Gates, Hull and Rocek, is the most general sigma model target space geometry allowing for (2,2) world sheet supersymmetry. In this paper, we work out supersymmetric quantum mechanics for a biHermitian target space. We display the full supersymmetry of the model and illustrate in detail its quantization procedure. Finally, we show that the quantized model reproduces the Hodge theory for compact twisted generalized Kaehler manifolds recently developed by Gualtieri. This allows us to recover and put in a broader context the results on the biHermitian t…
We construct the $\mathcal{N}=8$ supersymmetric mechanics with potential term whose configuration space is the special Kähler manifold of rigid type and show that it can be viewed as the Kähler counterpart of $\mathcal{N}=4$ mechanics related to "curved WDVV equations". Then, we consider the special case of the supersymmetric mechanics with the non-zero potential term defined on the family of $U(1)$-invariant one-(complex)dimensional special Kähler metrics. The bosonic parts of these systems include superintegrable deformations of perturbed two-dimensional oscillator and Coulomb systems.
We review the construction of minimally bosonized supersymmetric quantum mechanics and its relation to hidden supersymmetries in pure parabosonic (parafermionic) systems.
After recalling different formulations of the definition of supersymmetric quantum mechanics given in the literature, we discuss the relationships between them in order to provide an answer to the question raised in the title.
We study entanglement of spin degrees of freedom with continuous one in supersymmetric (SUSY) quantum mechanics. Concurrence is determined by mean value of spin and is calculated explicitly for SUSY states. We show that eigenstates of supercharges are maximally entangled. As an example the entanglement of atom state with photon state and SUSY in Jaynes-Cummings model are considered.
A recursive form of arbitrary-order Wronskian associated with transformation functions in the confluent algorithm of supersymmetric quantum mechanics (SUSY) is constructed. With this recursive form regularity conditions for the generated potentials can be analyzed. Moreover, as byproducts we obtain new representations of solutions to Schrödinger equations that underwent a confluent SUSY-transformation.
We study some sorts of dimensionally-deconstructed models for supersymmetric (Euclidean) quantum mechanics, or zero-dimensional field theory. In these models, we assign bosonic and fermionic variables to vertices and edges of a graph. We investigate a discrete version for the Gaussian model and the Wess-Zumino-type model on a graph. The topological index as a multiple integral is discussed on these models. In addition, we propose simple examples for supersymmetric extensions of the Lee-Wick model and the Galileon model. A model with two supersymmetries is also provided and generalization to `l…
In this work, supersymmetric quantum mechanics will be used to obtain complex solutions to Painleve IV equation with real parameters. We will also focus on the properties of the associated Hamiltonians, i.e. the algebraic structure, the eigenfunctions and the energy spectra.
Supersymmetric quantum mechanics has many applications, and typically uses a raising and lowering operator formalism. For one dimensional problems, we show how such raising and lowering operators may be generalized to include an arbitrary function. As a result, the usual Rodrigues' formula of the theory of orthogonal polynomials may be recovered in special cases, and it may otherwise be generalized to incorporate an arbitrary function. We provide example generalized operators for several important classical orthogonal polynomials, including Chebyshev, Gegenbauer, and other polynomials. In part…
Supersymmetric quantum mechanics is constructed in a new non-Hermitian representation. Firstly, the map between the partner operators $H^{(\pm)}$ is chosen antilinear. Secondly, both these components of a super-Hamiltonian ${\cal H}$ are defined along certain topologically nontrivial complex curves $r^{(\pm)}(x)$ which spread over several Riemann sheets of the wave function. The non-uniqueness of our choice of the map ${\cal T}$ between "tobogganic" partner curves $r^{(+)}(x)$ and $r^{(-)}(x)$ is emphasized.
A supersymmetric generalization of the Lieb-Liniger-Yang dynamics governing $N$ massive bosons moving on a line with delta interactions among them at coinciding points is developed. The analysis of the delicate balance between integrability and supersymmetry, starting from the exactly solvable non supersymmetric LLY system, is one of the paper main concerns. Two extreme regimes of the $N$ parameter are explored: 1) For few bosons we fall in the realm of supersymmetric quantum mechanics with a short number of degrees of freedom, e.g., the SUSY P$\ddot{\rm o}$sch-Teller potentials if $N=1$. 2) F…
The confluent second-order supersymmetric quantum mechanics, for which the factorization energies tend to a single value, is studied. We show that the Wronskian formula remains valid if generalized eigenfunctions are taken as seed solutions. The confluent algorithm is used to generate SUSY partners of the Coulomb potential.
The confluent second-order supersymmetric quantum mechanics, in which the factorization energies tend to a common value, is used to generate Hamiltonians with known spectra departing from the hyperbolic Rosen-Morse and Eckart potentials. The possible spectral modifications, as to create a new level or to delete a given one, as well as the isospectral transformations, are discussed.
We present SU$(2|1)$ supersymmetric mechanics on $n$-dimensional Riemannian manifolds within the Hamiltonian approach. The structure functions including prepotentials entering the supercharges and the Hamiltonian obey extended curved WDVV equations specified by the manifold's metric and curvature tensor. We consider the most general $u(2)$-valued prepotential, which contains both types (with and without spin variables), previously considered only separately. For the case of real Kähler manifolds we construct all possible interactions. For isotropic ($so(n)$-invariant) spaces we provide admissi…
The confluent algorithm, a degenerate case of the second order supersymmetric quantum mechanics, is studied. It is shown that the transformation function must asymptotically vanish to induce non-singular final potentials. The technique can be used to create a single level above the initial ground state energy. The method is applied to the free particle, one-soliton well and harmonic oscillator.
Following the construction of a model for the planar supersymmetric Chaplygin gas, supersymmetric fluid mechanics in (1+1)-dimensions is obtained from the light-cone parametrized Nambu-Goto superstring in (2+1)-dimensions. The lineal model is completely integrable and can be formulated neatly using Riemann coordinates. Infinite towers of conserved charges and supercharges are exhibited. They form irreducible representations of a dynamical (hidden) SO(2,1) symmetry group.
We furnish an algebraic understanding of the inequivalent connectivities (computed up to $N\leq 10$) of the graphs associated to the irreducible supermultiplets of the N-extended Supersymmetric Quantum Mechanics. We prove that the inequivalent connectivities of the N=5 and N=9 irreducible supermultiplets are due to inequivalent decompositions into two sets of N=4 (respectively, N=8) supermultiplets. "Oxido-reduction" diagrams linking the irreducible supermultiplets of the N=5,6,7,8 supersymmetries are presented. We briefly discuss these results and their possible applications.
We consider a superintegrable quantum potential in two-dimensional Euclidean space with a second and a third order integral of motion. The potential is written in terms of the fourth Painleve transcendent. We construct for this system a cubic algebra of integrals of motion. The algebra is realized in terms of parafermionic operators and we present Fock type representations which yield the corresponding energy spectra. We also discuss this potential from the point of view of higher order supersymmetric quantum mechanics and obtain ground state wave functions.
The hyperconfluent third-order supersymmetric quantum mechanics, in which all the factorization energies tend to a common value, is analyzed. It will be shown that the final potential as well can be achieved by applying consecutively a confluent second-order and a first-order SUSY transformations, both with the same factorization energy. The technique will be applied to the free particle and the Coulomb potential.
This monograph is derived from a series of six lectures I gave at the Centre de Recherches Mathematiques in Montreal, in March and June 2000, while titulary of the Aisenstadt Chair.
We study a cyclic Leibniz rule, which provides a systematic approach to lattice supersymmetry, using a numerical method with a transfer matrix. The computation is carried out in N=2 supersymmetric quantum mechanics with the phi^6-interaction for weak and strong couplings. The computed energy spectra and supersymmetric Ward-Takahashi identities are compared with those obtained from another lattice action. We find that a model with the cyclic Leibniz rule behaves similarly to the continuum theory compared with the other lattice action.
When anticommuting Grassmann variables are introduced into a fluid dynamical model with irrotational velocity and no vorticity, the velocity acquires a nonvanishing curl and the resultant vorticity is described by Gaussian potentials formed from the Grassmann variables. Upon adding a further specific interaction with the Grassmann degrees of freedom, the model becomes supersymmetric.
C$_λ$-extended oscillator algebras, where C$_λ$ is the cyclic group of order $λ$, are introduced and realized as generalized deformed oscillator algebras. For $λ=2$, they reduce to the well-known Calogero-Vasiliev algebra. For higher $λ$ values, they are shown to provide in their bosonic Fock space representation some interesting applications to supersymmetric quantum mechanics and some variants thereof: an algebraic realization of supersymmetric quantum mechanics for cyclic shape invariant potentials of period $λ$, a bosonization of parasupersymmetric quantum mechanics of order $p = λ-1$, and…
We discuss two independent constructions to introduce an N-extended Supersymmetric Quantum Mechanics. The first one makes use of the Fierz identities while the second one (divided into two subcases) makes use of the Schur lemma. The N supercharges Q_I are square roots of a free Hamiltonian H given by the tensor product of a D-dimensional Laplacian and a 2d-dimensional identity matrix operator. We present the mutual relations among N, D and d. The mod 8 Bott's periodicity of Clifford algebras is encoded, in the Fierz case, in the Radon-Hurwitz function and, in the Schur case, in an extra indepe…
A quantum mechanical model that realizes the $ \mathbb{Z}_2 \times \mathbb{Z}_2$-graded generalization of the one-dimensional supertranslation algebra is proposed. This model shares some features with the well-known Witten model and is related to parasupersymmetric quantum mechanics, though the model is not directly equivalent to either of these. The purpose of this paper is to show that novel "higher gradings" are possible in the context of non-relativistic quantum mechanics.
We show that the supersymmetric algebra of Witten's quantum mechanics is invariant under a given point canonical transformation. It is shown that Witten's supersymmetric quantum mechanics can be isospectral or not to the seed Hamiltonian depending on the space coordinate you work on. We illustrate our results by generating a new class of exactly solvable supersymmetric partner Hamiltonians which are not isospectral to the seed Hamiltonian.
In the recent paper, Bruce and Duplij introduced a double-graded version of supersymmetric quantum mechanics (SQM). It is an extension of Lie superalgebraic nature of ${\cal N}=1$ SQM to a $\mathbb{Z}_2^2$-graded superalgebra. In this work, we propose an extension of Bruce-Duplij model to higher values of $\cal N.$ Furthermore, it is shown that our construction of double-graded SQM is a special case of the method which converts a given Lie superalgebra to a $\mathbb{Z}_2^2$-graded superalgebra. By employing this method one may convert a model of superconformal mechanics to its double-graded ve…
We generalize the conformally invariant topological quantum mechanics of a particle propagating on a punctured plane by introducing a potential that breaks both the rotational and the conformal invariance down to a ${\bf Z}_2$ angular-dependent discrete symmetry. We derive a topological quantum mechanics whose localization gauge functions give interesting self-dual equations. The model contains an order parameter and exhibits a spontaneous symmetry breaking with two ground states above a critical scale. Unlike the ordinary $O(2)$-invariant Higgs potential, an angular-dependence is found and sa…
A new type of supersymmetric transformations of the coupled-channel radial Schroedinger equation is introduced, which do not conserve the vanishing behavior of solutions at the origin. Contrary to usual transformations, these ``non-conservative'' transformations allow, in the presence of thresholds, the construction of potentials with coupled scattering matrices from uncoupled potentials. As an example, an exactly-solvable potential matrix is obtained which provides a very simple model of Feshbach-resonance phenomenon.
We discuss a Hamiltonian reduction procedure that relates the mechanics of an N=2 particle on CP^3 with the motion of such a superparticle on S^4 in the presence of an instanton background. The key ingredients of the bosonic fibration S^2 -> CP^3 -> S^4 are recalled from the viewpoint of particle mechanics on CP^3. We describe an N=2 supersymmetric extension which allows for a Hamiltonian reduction. The S^2 degrees of freedom are encoded in the supercharges via SU(2) currents. Finally, we present the Hamiltonian of our system and its superfield Lagrangian.
The superalgebra of $\Z_2^2$-graded supersymmetric quantum mechanics is shown to be realizable in terms of a single bosonic degree of freedom. Such an approach is directly inspired by a description of the corresponding $\Z_2$-graded superalgebra in the framework of a Calogero-Vasiliev algebra or, more generally, of a generalized deformed oscillator algebra. In the case of the $\Z_2^2$-graded superalgebra, the central element $Z$ has the property of distinguishing between degenerate eigenstates of the Hamiltonian.
We consider a superintegrable Hamiltonian system in a two-dimensional space with a scalar potential that allows one quadratic and one cubic integral of motion. We construct the most general cubic algebra and we present specific realizations. We use them to calculate the energy spectrum. All classical and quantum superintegrable potentials separable in Cartesian coordinates with a third order integral are known. The general formalism is applied to quantum reducible and irreducible rational potentials separable in Cartesian coordinates in E2. We also discuss these potentials from the point of vi…
$C_λ$-extended oscillator algebras are realized as generalized deformed oscillator algebras. For $λ= 3$, the spectrum of the corresponding bosonic oscillator Hamiltonian is shown to strongly depend on the algebra parameters. A connection with cyclic shape invariant potentials is noted. A bosonization of PSSQM of order two is obtained.
We review the higher-order supersymmetric quantum mechanics (H-SUSY QM), which involves differential intertwining operators of order greater than one. The iterations of first-order SUSY transformations are used to derive in a simple way the higher-order case. The second order technique is addressed directly, and through this approach unexpected possibilities for designing spectra are uncovered. The formalism is applied to the harmonic oscillator: the corresponding H-SUSY partner Hamiltonians are ruled by polynomial Heisenberg algebras which allow a straight construction of the coherent states.
The localized fermions on the intersection curve $Σ$ of D7-branes, are connected to a N=2 supersymmetric quantum mechanics algebra. Due to this algebra the fields obey a global U(1) symmetry. This symmetry restricts the proton decay operators and the neutrino mass terms. Particularly, we find that several proton decay operators are forbidden and the Majorana mass term is the only one allowed in the theory. A special SUSY QM algebra is studied at the end of the paper. In addition we study the impact of a non-trivial holomorphic metric perturbation on the localized solutions along each matter cu…
We consider the descendants of self-adjointly extended Hamiltonians in supersymmetric quantum mechanics on a half-line, on an interval, and on a punctured line or interval. While there is a 4-parameter family of self-adjointly extended Hamiltonians on a punctured line, only a 3-parameter sub-family has supersymmetric descendants that are themselves self-adjoint. We also address the self-adjointness of an operator related to the supercharge, and point out that only a sub-class of its most general self-adjoint extensions is physical. Besides a general characterization of self-adjoint extensions …
The Hamiltonian for a fractional supersymmetric oscillator is derived from three approaches. The first one is based on a decomposition in which a Q-uon gives rise to an ordinary boson and a k-fermion (a k-fermion being an object interpolating between boson and fermion). The second one starts from a generalized Weyl-Heisenberg algebra. Finally, the third one relies on the quantum algebra Uq(sl(2)) where q is a root of unity.
Two complementary approaches of N = 2 fractional supersymmetric quantum mechanics of order k are studied in this article. The first one, based on a generalized Weyl-Heisenberg algebra W(k) (that comprizes the affine quantum algebra Uq(sl(2)) with q to k = 1 as a special case), apparently contains solely one bosonic degree of freedom. The second one uses generalized bosonic and k-fermionic degrees of freedom. As an illustration, a particular emphasis is put on the fractional supersymmetric oscillator of order k.
It is an interesting and open problem to trace the origin of the pseudospin symmetry in nuclear single-particle spectra and its symmetry breaking mechanism in actual nuclei. In this report, we mainly focus on our recent progress on this topic by combining the similarity renormalization group technique, supersymmetric quantum mechanics, and perturbation theory. We found that it is a promising direction to understand the pseudospin symmetry in a quantitative way.
We consider the Dirac equation in 1+1 space-time dimension with vector, scalar and pseudo-scalar coupling. In the traditional spin (or pseudo-spin) symmetry, the difference between (or sum of) the scalar and vector potentials is a constant. Here, however, we introduce an alternative symmetry where the scalar or pseudo-scalar potential is proportional to the vector potential. This leads to a model with significant extensions to supersymmetric quantum mechanics. We present a formal solution of the problem but give explicit analytic results for specific examples.
We formulate N-fold supersymmetry in quantum mechanical systems with reflection operators. As in the cases of other systems, they possess the two significant characters of N-fold supersymmetry, namely, almost isospectrality and weak quasi-solvability. We construct explicitly the most general 1- and 2-fold supersymmetric quantum mechanical systems with reflections. In the case of N=2, we find that there are seven inequivalent such systems, three of which are characterized by three arbitrary functions having definite parity while the other four of which are by two. In addition, four of the seven…
