Recently (see quant-ph/0503040) an explicit example has been given of a PT-symmetric non-diagonalizable Hamiltonian. In this paper we show that such Hamiltonians appear as supersymmetric (SUSY) partners of Hermitian (hence diagonalizable) Hamiltonians and they can be turned back to diagonalizable forms by appropriate SUSY transformations.
A new class of semi-analytically solvable MHD alpha^2-dynamos is found based on a global diagonalization of the matrix part of the dynamo differential operator. Close parallels to SUSY QM are used to relate these models to the Dirac equation and to extract non-numerical information about the dynamo spectrum.
We study complex potentials and related non-diagonalizable Hamiltonians with special emphasis on formal definitions of associated functions and Jordan cells. The nonlinear SUSY for complex potentials is considered and the theorems characterizing its structure are presented. We present the class of potentials invariant under SUSY transformations for non-diagonalizable Hamiltonians and formulate several results concerning the properties of associated functions . We comment on the applicability of these results for softly non-Hermitian PT-symmetric Hamiltonians. The role of SUSY (Darboux) transfo…
We continue our investigation of the nonlinear SUSY for complex potentials started in the Part I (math-ph/0610024) and prove the theorems characterizing its structure in the case of non-diagonalizable Hamiltonians. This part provides the mathematical basis of previous studies. The classes of potentials invariant under SUSY transformations for non-diagonalizable Hamiltonians are specified and the asymptotics of formal eigenfunctions and associated functions are derived. Several results on the normalizability of associated functions at infinities are rigorously proved. Finally the Index Theorem …
We give an explicit example of an exactly solvable PT-symmetric Hamiltonian with the unbroken PT symmetry which has one eigenfunction with the zero PT-norm. The set of its eigenfunctions is not complete in corresponding Hilbert space and it is non-diagonalizable. In the case of a regular Sturm-Liouville problem any diagonalizable PT-symmetric Hamiltonian with the unbroken PT symmetry has a complete set of positive CPT-normalazable eigenfunctions. For non-diagonalizable Hamiltonians a complete set of CPT-normalazable functions is possible but the functions belonging to the root subspace corresp…
Simple examples of non-Hermitian Hamiltonians with purely real spectra defined in $L^2(R^+)$ having spectral singularities inside the continuous spectrum are given. It is shown that such Hamiltonians may appear by shifting the ndependent variable of a real potential into the complex plane. Also they may be created as SUSY partners of Hermitian Hamiltonians. In the latter case spectral singularities of a non-Hermitian Hamiltonian are ordinary points of the continuous spectrum for its Hermitian SUSY partner. Conditions for transformation functions are formulated when a complex potential with com…
It is shown that the radial part of the Hydrogen Hamiltonian factorizes as the product of two not mutually adjoint first order differential operators plus a complex constant epsilon. The 1-susy approach is used to construct non-hermitian Hamiltonians with hydrogen spectra. Other non-hermitian Hamiltonians are shown to admit an extra `complex energy' at epsilon. New self-adjoint hydrogen-like Hamiltonians are also derived by using a 2-susy transformation with complex conjugate pairs epsilon, (c.c) epsilon.
We consider QM with non-Hermitian quasi-diagonalizable Hamiltonians, i.e. the Hamiltonians having a number of Jordan cells in particular biorthogonal bases. The "self-orthogonality" phenomenon is clarified in terms of a correct spectral decomposition and it is shown that "self-orthogonal" states never jeopardize resolution of identity and thereby quantum averages of observables. The example of a complex potential leading to one Jordan cell in the Hamiltonian is constructed and its origin from level coalescence is elucidated. Some puzzles with zero-binorm bound states in continuous spectrum are…
Supersymmetrical quantum--mechanical system is consider in the case of d=2. The problem of addition of the lower level to spectrums of matrix and scalar components of d=2 SUSY Hamiltonian is investigated. It is shown that in the case, the level E=0 may be degenerate. The multi--dimensional scalar Hamiltonians with energy spectra coinciding up to finite number of discrete levels are constructed.
A necessary and sufficient condition in order that a (diagonalizable) pseudohermitian operator admits an antilinear symmetry T such that T^{2}=-1 is proven. This result can be used as a quick test on the T-invariance properties of pseudohermitian Hamiltonians, and such test is indeed applied, as an example, to the Mashhoon-Papini Hamiltonian.
The eigenstates of a diagonalizable PT-symmetric Hamiltonian satisfy unconventional completeness and orthonormality relations. These relations reflect the properties of a pair of bi-orthonormal bases associated with non-hermitean diagonalizable operators. In a similar vein, such a dual pair of bases is shown to possess, in the presence of PT symmetry, a Gram matrix of a particular structure: its inverse is obtained by simply swapping the signs of some its matrix elements.
A new supersymmetric approach to the analysis of dynamical symmetries for matrix quantum systems is presented. Contrary to standard one dimensional quantum mechanics where there is no role for an additional symmetry due to nondegeneracy, matrix hamiltonians allow for non-trivial residual symmetries. This approach is based on a generalization of the intertwining relations familiar in SUSY Quantum Mechanics. The corresponding matrix supercharges, of first or of second order in derivatives, lead to an algebra which incorporates an additional block diagonal differential matrix operator (referred t…
Second order SUSY transformations between real and complex potentials for three important from physical point of view Sturm-Liouville problems, namely, problems with the Dirichlet boundary conditions for a finite interval, for a half axis and for the whole real line are analyzed. For every problem conditions on transformation functions are formulated when transformations are irreducible, i.e. when either the intermediate Hamiltonian is not well defined in the same Hilbert space as the initial and final Hamiltonians or its eigenfunctions cannot be obtained by applying transformation operator ei…
We prove that in finite dimensions, a Parity-Time (PT)-symmetric Hamiltonian is necessarily pseudo-Hermitian regardless of whether it is diagonalizable or not. This result is different from Mostafazadeh's, which requires the Hamiltonian to be diagonalizable. PT-symmetry breaking often occurs at exceptional points where the Hamiltonian is not diagonalizable. Our result implies that PT-symmetry breaking is equivalent to the onset of instabilities of pseudo-Hermitian systems, which was systematically studied by Krein et al. in 1950s. In particular, we show that the mechanism of PT-symmetry breaki…
The general solution of SUSY intertwining relations of first order for two-dimensional Schrödinger operators with position-dependent (effective) mass is built in terms of four arbitrary functions. The procedure of separation of variables for the constructed potentials is demonstrated in general form. The generalization for intertwining of second order is also considered. The general solution for a particular form of intertwining operator is found, its properties - symmetry, irreducibility, separation of variables - are investigated.
Motivated by the duality of normalizable states and the presence of the quasi-parity quantum number q=+/-1 in PT symmetric (non-Hermitian) quantum mechanical potential models, the relation of PT symmetry and supersymmetry (SUSY) is studied. As an illustrative example the PT invariant version of the Scarf II potential is presented, and it is shown that the "bosonic" Hamiltonian has two different "fermionic" SUSY partner Hamiltonians (potentials) generated from the ground-state solutions with q=1 and q=-1. It is shown that the "fermionic" potentials cease to be PT invariant when the PT symmetry …
We present the general ideas on SuperSymmetric Quantum Mechanics (SUSY-QM) using different representations for the operators in question, which are defined by the corresponding bosonic Hamiltonian as part of SUSY Hamiltonian and its supercharges, which are defined as matrix or differential operators. We show that, although most of the SUSY partners of one-dimensional Schrödinger problems have already been found,there are still some unveiled aspects of the factorization procedure which may lead to richer insights of the problem involved.
The evolution speed in projective Hilbert space is considered for Hermitian Hamiltonians and for non-Hermitian (NH) ones. Based on the Hilbert-Schmidt norm and the spectral norm of a Hamiltonian, resource-related upper bounds on the evolution speed are constructed. These bounds are valid also for NH Hamiltonians and they are illustrated for an optical NH Hamiltonian and for a non-Hermitian $\mathcal{PT}-$symmetric matrix Hamiltonian. Furthermore, the concept of quantum speed efficiency is introduced as measure of the system resources directly spent on the motion in the projective Hilbert space…
We study a quantum model with non-isotropic two-dimensional oscillator potential but with additional quadratic interaction $x_1x_2$ with imaginary coupling constant. It is shown, that for a specific connection between coupling constant and oscillator frequences, the model {\it is not} amenable to a conventional separation of variables. The property of shape invariance allows to find analytically all eigenfunctions and the spectrum is found to be equidistant. It is shown that the Hamiltonian is non-diagonalizable, and the resolution of the identity must include also the corresponding associated…
An integral relation is established between the Green functions corresponding to two Hamiltonians which are supersymmetric (SUSY) partners and in general may possess both discrete and continuous spectra. It is shown that when the continuous spectrum is present the trace of the difference of the Green functions for SUSY partners is a finite quantity which may or may not be equal to zero despite the divergence of the traces of each Green function. Our findings are illustrated by using the free particle example considered both on the whole real line and on a half line.
We systematically formulate a hierarchy of isospectral Hamiltonians in one-dimensional supersymmetric quantum mechanics on an interval and on a circle, in which two successive Hamiltonians form N=2 supersymmetry. We find that boundary conditions compatible with supersymmetry are severely restricted. In the case of an interval, a hierarchy of, at most, three isospectral Hamiltonians is possible with unique boundary conditions, while in the case of a circle an infinite tower of isospectral Hamiltonians can be constructed with two-parameter family of boundary conditions.
The higher order susy partners of Schroedinger Hamiltonians can be explicitly constructed by iterating a nonlinear difference algorithm coinciding with the Backlund superposition principle used in soliton theory. As an example, it is applied in the construction of new higher order susy partners of the free particle potential, which can be used as a handy tool in soliton theory.
We propose an extended version of supersymmetric quantum mechanics which can be useful if the Hamiltonian of the physical system under investigation is not Hermitian. The method is based on the use of two, in general different, superpotentials. Bi-coherent states of the Gazeau-Klauder type are constructed and their properties are analyzed. Some examples are also discussed, including an application to the Black-Scholes equation, one of the most important equations in Finance.
We show that the potential in the radial equation in the model of coherent quadrupole-octupole motion (CQOM) in nuclei generates a sequence of superpotentials and subsequent series of effective potentials which satisfy the shape-invariance condition and correspond to a SUSY-QM hierarchy of Hamiltonians. On this basis we suggest that the original CQOM level scheme possesses a generic supersymmetric structure of the spectrum inherent for the coherent quadrupole-octupole mode. We outline the mechanism in which the real quadrupole-octupole spectra in even-even and odd-even nuclei deviate from the …
A two-dimensional Pauli Hamiltonian describing the interaction of a neutral spin-1/2 particle with a magnetic field having axial and second order symmetries, is considered. After separation of variables, the one-dimensional matrix Hamiltonian is analyzed from the point of view of supersymmetric quantum mechanics. Attention is paid to the discrete symmetries of the Hamiltonian and also to the Hamiltonian hierarchies generated by intertwining operators. The spectrum is studied by means of the associated matrix shape-invariance. The relation between the intertwining operators and the second order…
Pairs of SUSY partner Hamiltonians are studied which are interrelated by usual (linear) or polynomial supersymmetry. Assuming the model of one of the Hamiltonians as exactly solvable with known propagator, expressions for propagators of partner models are derived. The corresponding general results are applied to "a particle in a box", the Harmonic oscillator and a free particle (i.e. to transparent potentials).
We introduce and study a class of non-Hermitian Hamiltonians which have velocity dependent potentials. Since stability can not be advocated directly from the classical potential, we show that the energy spectra are real and bounded from below which proves the stability of the spectra of all members in the class. We find that the introduced class of non-Hermitian Hamiltonians do have a corresponding superpartner class of non-Hermitian Hamiltonians. We were able to introduce supercharges which in conjunction with the corresponding super Hamiltonians constitute a closed super algebra. Among the i…
Supersymmetric quantum mechanics is a powerful tool for generating exactly solvable potentials departing from a given initial one. If applied to the harmonic oscillator, a family of Hamiltonians ruled by polynomial Heisenberg algebras is obtained. In this paper it will be shown that the SUSY partner Hamiltonians of the harmonic oscillator can produce evolution loops. The corresponding geometric phases will be as well studied.
Motivated by what one observes dealing with PT-symmetric quantum mechanics, we discuss what happens if a physical system is driven by a diagonalizable Hamiltonian with not all real eigenvalues. In particular, we consider the functional structure related to systems living in finite-dimensional Hilbert spaces, and we show that certain intertwining relations can be deduced also in this case if we introduce suitable antilinear operators. We also analyze a simple model, computing the transition probabilities in the broken and in the unbroken regime.
Using the Darboux method and its relation with supersymmetric quantum mechanics we construct all SUSY partners of the harmonic oscillator. With the help of the SUSY transformation we introduce ladder operators for these partner Hamiltonians and shown that they close a quadratic algebra. The associated coherent states are constructed and discussed in some detail.
We extend the standard intertwining relations used in Supersymmetrical (SUSY) Quantum Mechanics which involve real superpotentials to complex superpotentials. This allows to deal with a large class of non-hermitean Hamiltonians and to study in general the isospectrality between complex potentials. In very specific cases we can construct in a natural way "quasi-complex" potentials which we define as complex potentials having a global property such as to lead to a Hamiltonian with real spectrum. We also obtained a class of complex transparent potentials whose Hamiltonian can be intertwined to a …
In this review we discuss the connection between two seemingly disparate topics, macroscopic gravity on astrophysical scales and Hamiltonians that are not Hermitian but $PT$ symmetric on microscopic ones. In particular we show that the quantum-mechanical unitarity problem of the fourth-order derivative conformal gravity theory is resolved by recognizing that the scalar product appropriate to the theory is not the Dirac norm associated with a Hermitian Hamiltonian but is instead the norm associated with a non-Hermitian but $PT$-symmetric Hamiltonian. Moreover, the fourth-order theory Hamiltonia…
We obtain accurate eigenvalues for two recently derived SUSY partner Hamiltonians. We improve the Rayleigh-Ritz variational method proposed by the authors and show how to apply the Riccati-Padé method to those particular partner potentials.
Supersymmetric (SUSY) transformation operators corresponding to complex factorization constants are analyzed as operators acting in the Hilbert space of functions square integrable on the positive semiaxis. Obtained results are applied to Hamiltonians possessing spectral singularities which are non-Hermitian SUSY partners of selfadjoint operators. A new regularization procedure for the resolution of the identity operator in terms of continuous biorthonormal set of the non-Hermitian Hamiltonian eigenfunctions is proposed. It is also shown that the continuous spectrum eigenfunction has zero bino…
It is shown that for a given Hermitian Hamiltonian possessing supersymmetry, there is alwayas a non-hermitian Jaynes-Cummings-type Hamiltonian(JCTH) admitting entirely real spectra. The parent supersymmetric Hamiltonian and the corresponding non-hermitian JCTH are simultaneously diagonalizable. The exact eigenstates of these non-hermitian Hamiltonians are constructed algebraically for certain shape-invariant potentials, including a non-hermitian version of the standard Jaynes-Cummings model for which the parent supersymmetric Hamiltonian is the superoscillator. The positive-definite metric ope…
We study SUSY-intertwining for non-Hermitian Hamiltonians with special emphasis to the two-dimensional generalized Morse potential, which does not allow for separation of variables. The complexified methods of SUSY-separation of variables and two-dimensional shape invariance are used to construct particular solutions - both for complex conjugated energy pairs and for non-paired complex energies.
The general solution of the intertwining relations between a pair of Schrödinger Hamiltonians by the supercharges of third order in derivatives is obtained. The solution is expressed in terms of one arbitrary function. Some properties of the spectrum of the Hamiltonian are derived, and wave functions for three energy levels are constructed. This construction can be interpreted as addition of three new levels to the spectrum of partner potential: a ground state and a pair of levels between successive excited states. Possible types of factorization of the third order supercharges are analysed, t…
We study the Nonlinear (Polynomial, N-fold,...) Supersymmetry algebra in one-dimensional QM. Its structure is determined by the type of conjugation operation (Hermitian conjugation or transposition) and described with the help of the Super-Hamiltonian projection on the zero-mode subspace of a supercharge. We show that the SUSY algebra with transposition symmetry is always polynomial in the Hamiltonian if supercharges represent differential operators of finite order. The appearance of the extended SUSY with several (complex or real) supercharges is analyzed in details and it is established that…
A simple way to find solutions of the Painlevé IV equation is by identifying Hamiltonian systems with third-order differential ladder operators. Some of these systems can be obtained by applying supersymmetric quantum mechanics (SUSY QM) to the harmonic oscillator. In this work, we will construct families of coherent states for such subset of SUSY partner Hamiltonians which are connected with the Painlevé IV equation. First, these coherent states are built up as eigenstates of the annihilation operator, then as displaced versions of the extremal states, both involving the third-order ladder op…
Diagonalizable pseudo-Hermitian Hamiltonians with real and discrete spectra, which are superpartners of Hermitian Hamiltonians, must be $η$-pseudo-Hermitian with Hermitian, positive-definite and non-singular $η$ operators. We show that despite the fact that an $η$ operator produced by a supersymmetric transformation, corresponding to the exact supersymmetry, is singular, it can be used to find the eigenfunctions of a Hermitian operator equivalent to the given pseudo-Hermitian Hamiltonian. Once the eigenfunctions of the Hermitian operator are found the operator may be reconstructed with the hel…
In this work the supersymmetric technique is applied to the truncated oscillator to generate Hamiltonians ruled by second and third-order polynomial Heisenberg algebras, which are connected to the Painlevé IV and Painlevé V equations respectively. The aforementioned connection is exploited to produce particular solutions to both non-linear differential equations and the Bäcklund transformations relating them.
Non-hermitian quantum systems can exhibit spectral degeneracies known as exceptional points, where two or more eigenvectors coalesce, leading to a non-diagonalizable Jordan block. It is known that symmetries can enhance the abundance of exceptional points in non-interacting systems. Here, we investigate the fate of such symmetry protected exceptional points in the presence of a symmetry preserving interaction between fermions and find that, (i) exceptional points are stable in the presence of the interaction. Their propagation through the parameter space leads to the formation of characteristi…
We investigate the most general form of the one-dimensional Dirac Hamiltonian $H_D$ in the presence of scalar and pseudoscalar potentials. To seek embedding of supersymmetry (SUSY) in it, as an alternative procedure to directly employing the intertwining relations, we construct a quasi-Hamiltonian $\mathcal{K}$, defined as the square of $H_D$, to explore the consequences. We show that the diagonal elements of $\mathcal{K}$ under a suitable approximation reflects the presence of a superpotential thus proving a useful guide in unveiling the role of SUSY. For illustrative purpose we apply our sch…
The origin of pseudospin symmetry (PSS) and its breaking mechanism are explored by combining supersymmetry (SUSY) quantum mechanics, perturbation theory, and the similarity renormalization group (SRG) method. The Schrödinger equation is taken as an example, corresponding to the lowest-order approximation in transforming a Dirac equation into a diagonal form by using the SRG. It is shown that while the spin-symmetry-conserving term appears in the single-particle Hamiltonian $H$, the PSS-conserving term appears naturally in its SUSY partner Hamiltonian $\tilde{H}$. The eigenstates of Hamiltonian…
The quasi-degeneracy between the single-particle states $(n,\,l,\,j=l+1/2)$ and $(n-1,\,l+2,\,j=l+3/2)$ indicates a special and hidden symmetry in atomic nuclei---the so-called pseudospin symmetry (PSS)---which is an important concept in both spherical and deformed nuclei. A number of phenomena in nuclear structure have been successfully interpreted directly or implicitly by this symmetry, including nuclear superdeformed configurations, identical bands, quantized alignment, pseudospin partner bands, and so on. Since the PSS was recognized as a relativistic symmetry in 1990s, there have been co…
A family of non-Hermitian but ${\cal PT}-$symmetric $2J$ by $2J$ toy-model tridiagonal-matrix Hamiltonians $H^{(2J)}=H^{(2J)}(t)$ with $J=K+M=1,2,\ldots$ and $t<J^2$ is studied, for which a real but non-Hermitian $2K$ by $2K$ tridiagonal-submatrix component $C(t)$ of the Hamiltonian is assumed coupled to its other two complex but Hermitian $M$ by $M$ tridiagonal-submatrix components $A(t)$ and $B(t)$. By construction, (i) all of the submatrices get decoupled at $t=t_M=M\,(2J-M)$ with $M=1,2,\ldots,J$; (ii) at all of the parameters $t=t_M$ with $M=J-K=0,1,\ldots,J-1$ the Hamiltonian ceases to b…
Unlike their fermionic counterparts, the dynamics of Hermitian quadratic bosonic Hamiltonians are governed by a generally non-Hermitian Bogoliubov-de Gennes effective Hamiltonian. This underlying non-Hermiticity gives rise to a dynamically stable regime, whereby all observables undergo bounded evolution in time, and a dynamically unstable one, whereby evolution is unbounded for at least some observables. We show that stability-to-instability transitions may be classified in terms of a suitably generalized $\mathcal{P}\mathcal{T}$ symmetry, which can be broken when diagonalizability is lost at …
We employ our new approach to non-relativistic supersymmetric quantum mechanics (SUSY-QM), (J. Phys. Chem. A 114, 8202(2010)) for any number of dimensions and distinguishable particles, to treat the hydrogen atom in full three-dimensional detail. In contrast to the standard one-dimensional radial equation SUSY-QM treatment of the hydrogen atom, where the superpotential is a scalar, in a full three-dimensional treatment, it is a vector which applies regardless of the electron angular momentum. The original scalar Schrodinger Hamiltonian operator is factored into vector "charge" operators: Q and…
The general solution of SUSY intertwining relations for three-dimensional Schrödinger operators is built using the class of second order supercharges with nondegenerate constant metric. This solution includes several models with arbitrary parameters. We are interested only in quantum systems which are not amenable to separation of variables, i.e. can not be reduced to lower dimensional problems. All constructed Hamiltonians are partially integrable - each of them commutes with a symmetry operator of fourth order in momenta. The same models can be considered also for complex values of parameter…
Motivated by recent experimental advances in ultracold atoms, we analyze a non-Hermitian (NH) BCS Hamiltonian with a complex-valued interaction arising from inelastic scattering between fermions. We develop a mean-field theory to obtain a NH gap equation for order parameters, which are different from the standard BCS ones due to the inequivalence of left and right eigenstates in the NH physics. We find unconventional phase transitions unique to NH systems: superfluidity shows reentrant behavior with increasing dissipation, as a consequence of non-diagonalizable exceptional points, lines, and s…
Along the years, supersymmetric quantum mechanics (SUSY QM) has been used for studying solvable quantum potentials. It is the simplest method to build Hamiltonians with prescribed spectra in the spectral design. The key is to pair two Hamiltonians through a finite order differential operator. Some related subjects can be simply analyzed, as the algebras ruling both Hamiltonians and the associated coherent states. The technique has been applied also to periodic potentials, where the spectra consist of allowed and forbidden energy bands. In addition, a link with non-linear second order different…
In the framework of SUSYQM extended to deal with non-Hermitian Hamiltonians, we analyze three sets of complex potentials with real spectra, recently derived by a potential algebraic approach based upon the complex Lie algebra sl(2, C). This extends to the complex domain the well-known relationship between SUSYQM and potential algebras for Hermitian Hamiltonians, resulting from their common link with the factorization method and Darboux transformations. In the same framework, we also generate for the first time a pair of elliptic partner potentials of Weierstrass $\wp$ type, one of them being r…
The asymptotic behaviour of the superpotential of general SUSY transformations for a coupled-channel Hamiltonian with different thresholds is analyzed. It is shown that asymptotically the superpotential can tend to a diagonal matrix with an arbitrary number of positive and negative entries depending on the choice of the factorization solution. The transformation of the Jost matrix is generalized to "non-conservative" SUSY transformations introduced in Sparenberg et al (2006 J. Phys. A: Math. Gen. 39 L639). Applied to the zero initial potential the method permits to construct superpartners with…
Resolutions of identity for certain non-Hermitian Hamiltonians constructed from biorthogonal sets of their eigen- and associated functions are given for the spectral problem defined on entire axis. Non-Hermitian Hamiltonians under consideration possess the continuous spectrum and the following peculiarities are investigated: (1) the case when there is an exceptional point of arbitrary multiplicity situated on a boundary of continuous spectrum; (2) the case when there is an exceptional point situated inside of continuous spectrum. The reductions of the derived resolutions of identity under narr…