For the special case of freely evolving Dirac electrons in $1 + 1$ dimensions, Feynman checkerboard paths have previously been used to derive Wigner's arrival-time distribution which includes all arrivals. Here, an attempt is made to use these paths to determine the corresponding distribution of first-arrival times. Simple analytic expressions are obtained for the relevant components of the first-arrival propagator. These are used to investigate the relative importance of the first-arrival contribution to the Wigner arrival-time distribution and of the contribution arising from interference between first and later (i.e. second, third, ...) arrivals. It is found that a distribution of (intrinsic) first-arrival times for a Dirac electron cannot in general be consistently defined using checkerboard paths, not even approximately in the nonrelativistic regime.
The mean arrival time of free particles is computed using the quantum probability current. This is uniquely determined in the non-relativistic limit of Dirac equation, although the Schroedinger probability current has an inherent non-uniqueness. Since the Dirac probability current involves a spin-dependent term, an arrival time distribution based on the probability current shows an observable spin-dependent effect, even for free particles. This arises essentially from relativistic quantum dynamics, but persists even in the non-relativistic regime.
Relativistic free-motion time-of-arrival theory for massive spin-1/2 particles is systematically developed. Contrary to the nonrelativistic time-of-arrival operator studied thoroughly in previous literatures, the relativistic time-of-arrival operator possesses self-adjoint extensions because of the particle-antiparticle symmetry. The nonrelativistic limit of our theory is in agreement with the nonrelativistic time-of-arrival theory. By comparing the time-of-arrival operator with the Hamiltonian operator of a free Dirac particle, one can show a duality between position space and momentum space.
The effect of noise on the Dirac phase of electron in the presence of screw dislocation is studied. An uncorrelated noise, which coincides with the nature of thermal fluctuations, is adopted. Results indicate that the Dirac phase is robust against existing noise in the system.
The present paper is the continuation of the paper "Nonlinear field theory I". In the paper it is shown that a fully correspondence between the quantum and the nonlinear electromagnetic forms of the Dirac electron theory exists, so that each element of the Dirac theory acquires the known electrodynamics meaning and reversely
Fundamental solutions for the free Dirac electron and Einstein photon equations in position coordinates are constructed as matrix valued functionals on the space of bump functions. It is shown that these fundamental solutions are related by a unitary transform via the Cauchy distribution in imaginary time. We study the way the classical relativistic mechanics of the free particle comes from the quantum mechanics of the free Dirac electron.
The present paper is the continuity of the previous papers "Non-linear field theory" I and II. Here on the basis of the electromagnetic representation of Dirac's electron theory we consider the geometrical distribution of the electromagnetic fields of the electron-positron. This gives the posibility to obtain the explanation and solution of many fundamental problems of the QED.
We show that, in the relativistic Bohm model of a Dirac-like particle, the electron in the ground state of the hydrogen atom is moving, unlike the prediction for the case of a Schrödinger-like particle, where the electron is stationary. This accounts for the empirically observed dilation of the decay time of the muon in the ground state of muonium.
We present an approach to compute the electric and magnetic dipole moments of an electron by using polarization and magnetization parts of the Dirac current. We show that these dipole moment expressions obtained by our approach in this study are in agreement with the current experimental results in the literature. Also, we observe that a magnetic field plays an important role in the magnitude of the electrical dipole moment of the electron.
All known solutions of the Dirac equation describing states of electrons endowed with angular momentum are very far from our notion of the electron as a spinning charged bullet because they are not localized in the direction of propagation. We present here analytic exact solutions, eigenstates of the total angular momentum component $M_z$, that come very close to this notion. These new solutions of the Dirac equation have also intricate topological properties similar to the hopfion solutions of the Maxwell equations.
In this article we present a detailed description of an electron in a uniform magnetic field evolving under the Schrödinger equation using ladder operators. Based on this analysis, we describe the same physical system using the Dirac equation, known from relativistic quantum mechanics. The main differences between these two quantum mechanical approaches are discussed and we observe specifically how the relativistic phenomena modify the description of this particular quantum system.
A single photoelectron can be trapped and its photoelectric charge detected by a source/drain channel in a transistor. Such a transistor photodetector can be useful for flagging the safe arrival of a photon in a quantum repeater. The electron trap can be photo-ionized and repeatedly reset for the arrival of successive individual photons. This single photoelectron transistor (SPT) operating at the lambda = 1.3 mu m tele-communication band, was demonstrated by using a windowed-gate double-quantum-well InGaAs/InAlAs/InP heterostructure that was designed to provide near-zero electron g-factor. The…
We report a demonstration of a high-entropy optical quantum random number generator (QRNG) based on photon arrival time. We have implemented the scheme with high-speed and high-precision electronics with a time resolution of 1 ps generating 115 Mbps raw data. The random bit generation efficiency is 8 bits per detection. The experimental data is quite consistent with theoretical estimation showing minimum bias. We apply a real-time information-theoretic randomness extractor to generate a final data rate of 109 Mbps. The randomness is rigorously evaluated against well-known statistical test suit…
The theorem known from Pauli equation about operators that anticommute with Dirac's $K$-operator is generalized to the Dirac equation. By means of this theorem the operator is constructed which governs the hidden symmetry in relativistic Coulomb problem (Dirac equation). It is proved that this operator coincides with the familiar Johnson-Lippmann one and is intimately connected to the famous Laplace-Runge-Lenz (LRL) vector. Our derivation is very simple and informative. It does not require a longtime and tedious calculations, as is offten underlined in most papers.
Rejuvenation of hydrodynamic transport in solids provides a new window to study collective motion of electrons, where electrons behave like a viscous fluid akin to classical liquids. Experimental observations of such exotic states have not been realized until recent years, and an on-going quest is to amplify the hydrodynamic effect in electron fluids. Here we investigate the hydrodynamic properties of Dirac electron fluid in graphene from a microscopic viewpoint, and elucidate a novel way to enhance electron hydrodynamics. In particular, we present strong evidence that the shear viscosity of D…
Quantum algebraic observables representing localization in space-time of a Dirac electron are defined. Inertial motion of the electron is represented in the quantum algebra with electron mass acting as the generator of motion. Since transformations to uniformly accelerated frames are naturally included in this conformally invariant description, the quantum algebra is also able to deal with uniformly accelerated motion.
We theoretically demonstrate the feasibility of producing electron beam splitter using Kapitza-Dirac diffraction on bichromatic standing waves which are created by the fundamental frequency and the third harmonic. The relativistic electron in Bragg regime absorbs three photons with frequency of w and emits a photon with frequency of 3w, four-photon Kapitza-Dirac effect. In this four-photon Kapitza-Dirac effect distinct spin effects arise in different polarizations of the third harmonic laser beam. It is shown that the shape of Rabi oscillation between initial and scattered states is changed an…
Kapitza-Dirac scattering of nonrelativistic electrons from counterpropagating bichromatic laser waves of linear polarization is studied. The focus lies on the electronic spin dynamics in the Bragg regime when the laser fields possess a frequency ratio of two. To this end, the time-dependent Pauli equation is solved numerically, both in coordinate space and momentum space. Our numerical results are corroborated by analytical derivations. We demonstrate that, for certain incident electron momenta, the scattering crucially relies on the electron spin which undergoes characteristic Rabi-like oscil…
We discuss the relation of the Kerr-Newman spinning particle to the Dirac electron and show that the Dirac equation may naturally be incorporated into Kerr-Schild formalism as a master equation controlling the Kerr-Newman geometry. As a result, the Dirac electron acquires an extended space-time structure of the Kerr-Newman geometry - singular ring of the Compton size and twistorial polarization of the gravitational and electromagnetic fields. Behavior of this Dirac -- Kerr-Newman system in the weak and slowly changed electromagnetic fields is determined by the wave function of the Dirac equati…
We identify and describe how intense short light pulses couple to massless Dirac fermions in two-dimensional systems. The ensuing excitation dynamics exhibits unusual scaling with the wavelength of the light due the linear dispersion of the band structure and the fact that light coupling is efficient only close to the Dirac points. We exploit these features to achieve valley polarization of more than 70 % with simple pulse shapes. Quantitative results are given for pristine graphene.
Spin-dependent Kapitza-Dirac scattering of electron beams from counterpropagating bichromatic laser waves in various polarization geometries is studied. The corresponding scattering probabilities are obtained by analytical and numerical solutions of the time-dependent Dirac equation, assuming a field frequency ratio of 2. When the fundamental field mode is circular-polarized, we show that spin dynamics are generally suppressed at low intensities, but can become distinct at high intensities. Conversely, when a linearly or elliptically polarized fundamental mode is combined with a second harmoni…
We present a new quantum algebraic description of an electron localized in space-time. Positions in space and time, mass and Clifford generators are defined as quantum operators. Commutation relations and relativistic shifts under frame transformations are determined within a unique algebraic framework. Redshifts, i.e. shifts under transformations to uniformly accelerated frames, are evaluated and found to differ from the expressions of classical relativity.
The Kerr-Newman spinning particle displays some remarkable relations to the Dirac electron and has a reach spinor structure which is based on a twistorial description of the Kerr congruence determined by the Kerr theorem. We consider the relation between this spinor-twistorial structure and spinors of the Dirac equation, and show that the Dirac equation may naturally be incorporated into Kerr-Schild formalism as a master equation controlling the twistorial structure of Kerr geometry. As a result, the Dirac electron acquires an extended space-time structure having clear coordinate description w…
We derive new solutions of the Schrödinger, Klein-Gordon and Dirac equations which describe the motion of particles in a uniform magnetic field. In contrast to the well known stationary solutions, our solutions exhibit the behavior of quantum particles which very closely resembles classical helical trajectories. These solutions also serve as an illustration of the meaning of the Ehrenfest theorem in relativistic quantum mechanics.
We construct a non-Grassmann spinning-particle model which, by analogy with quantum mechanics, does not admit the notion of a trajectory within the position space. The pseudo-classical character of the model allows us to avoid the inconsistencies arising in the quantum-mechanical interpretation of a one-particle sector of the Dirac equation.
The Dirac equation for an electron in two spatial dimensions in the Coulomb and homogeneous magnetic fields is a physical example of quasi-exactly solvable systems. This model, however, does not belong to the classes based on the algebra $sl(2)$ which underlies most one-dimensional and effectively one-dimensional quasi-exactly solvable systems. In this paper we demonstrate that the quasi-exactly solvable differential equation possesses a hidden $osp(2,2)$ superalgebra.
