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Effects of non-associativity in time

dependent quantum systems


Anjusha.C
Project supervisor: Dr.S.Shankaranarayanan
Indian Institute of Science Education and Research-Thiruvananthapuram
November 25, 2016

Introduction
I

One of the fundamental axioms of standard quantum


mechanics is the concept of state vector which is related to
the probability of finding a system in a particular state

The vectors belong to a complex vector space called Hilbert


space the dimensionality of which is dictated by the problem
under consideration.

Physical oberservables are associated with hermitian operators.

The state vector formalism of quantum mechanics leads to the


associativity of operators, i.e, multiplication operations among
operators are associative [4].
C = A(
B C), where A,
B,
C are operators and is a
(AB)
state vector.

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Effects of non-associativity in time dependent quantum systems

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Some systems such as a charged particle in a magnetic


monopole density, does not obey this property.

They can only be modelled using non-associative algebra.

A non-associative algebra cannot be represented by operators


in a Hilbert space.

States in this setting cannot be defined as normalised vectors.

Instead of describing a state by its wave function ( which


contains all information about a given state), it is described by
a set of expectation values assigned by a single state to all
possible observables.

Effects of non-associativity in time dependent quantum systems

Effective potential of a charged particle in a magnetic


monopole density
The first derivation of potentially testable results in non-associative
quantum mechanics was given by M.Bojowald [1] by computing the
effective potential of charged particle in a uniform magnetic
monopole density:
The charged particle in a magnetic field with monopoles
~ = 0), the non-canonical commutation relation for
~ B
(O
momentum operators are :
[pj , pk ] = ie~

3
P

~l
ijk B

l=1

It follows that the momentum commutators does not follow the


Jacobi identity:
~
[[px , py ], pz ] + [[py , pz ], px ] + [[pz , px ], py ] = e~2 (O B)
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Effects of non-associativity in time dependent quantum systems

The non zero result implies that the usual state vector formalism
does not work.
The state is parametrised using the position and momentum
expectation values(h
qi i and hpi i), their fluctuations, correlations
and higher moments.
Using semi-classical approximation, moments only upto the order of
~ is considered.
For charged particle in a magnetic field along z- direction
~x = B
~ y = 0) and a harmonic potential V (x, y , z) = 1 m 2 z2 (to
(B
2
ensure complete confinement).
The hamiltonian is:
H =

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1
2m

3
P
j=1

pj2 + 21 m 2 z2

Effects of non-associativity in time dependent quantum systems

The effective potential the particle experiences is the classical


potential plus a sum of fluctuations, given by:
1
1
1
Veff (h
z i) = m 2 h
z i2 +
((px2 )+(py2 )+(pz2 ))+ m 2 (z 2 )
2
2m
2
By solving the equations of motion for fluctuations in adiabatic
approximation and saturating the uncertainty relations, the value of
the effective potential is obtained:
1
1 e~ 2 1
Veff (h
z i) = m 2 (h
zi +
) + ~
2
2 2m2 2
2

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Effects of non-associativity in time dependent quantum systems

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We can see that the minimum of the harmonic oscillator


potential in shifted by z = 12 me~
2 2 .

The charged particle oscillates about this shifted centre.

In the classical case, stable circular motion is not possible


~ = 0 and the magnetic force vanishes.
because at z = 0, B

The shift in minima,is a consequence of non-associativity. It


allows for stable circular motion as the magnetic field at this
point is non-zero.

This effect cannot be mimicked by magnetic fields without


monopole densities( which obeys associative quantum
mechanics).

Hence, non associativity can lead to observable consequences


and their effects can be derived even when the usual state
vector formalism is not applicable.

Effects of non-associativity in time dependent quantum systems

Time dependent harmonic oscillator


I

The Hamiltonian of a time independant harmonic oscillator is


given by,
2
H = p + 1 m 2 x2
2m

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Classically for a harmonic oscillator, the expectation values of


position and momentum (h
x i and hpi)
oscillates with angular
frequency .

For a quantum harmonic oscillator, expectation values of


position and momentum operators with respect to any energy
eigenstate is zero.

To obtain oscillation of expectation values as seen in classical


oscillators, superposition of energy eigenstates needs to be
considered.

Effects of non-associativity in time dependent quantum systems

The superposition which closely imitates the classical oscillator


is the coherent state of the harmonic oscillator, given by,[3]

2 P
n
| >= e 2
1 |n >
0 (n!) 2

where |n > are number operator eigenstates and is any


complex number
I

Action by the time-evolution operator gives the time


dependence [3]

2 P
i(n+ 12 )t
n
|n >
|(, t) >= e 2
1 e
0 (n!) 2

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Effects of non-associativity in time dependent quantum systems

Lewis invariance
I

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For a time dependant harmonic oscillator( = (t)), where


the hamiltonian is an explicit function of time (H(t)), if there
exists a hermitian invariant (I(t)), it satisfies the equation:
dI
I
1
dt t + i~ [I , H]
H.R.Lewis and W.B.Reisenfeld [2] ,showed that for such a
hermitian invariant, if it does not involve the operation of time
differentiation, ( as is the case with time dependant harmonic
oscillator), the phases of eigenstates of I(t) can be chosen so
that the these states themselves satisfy the Scrodinger
equation.
P
|(t) >= , c e i (t) |, ; t >
where c are time dependent coefficients. |(t) > is the
Schrodinger state vector and |, ; t > are the eigenstates of
the invariant(I).
Effects of non-associativity in time dependent quantum systems

For the time dependant harmonic oscillator the invariant


(Lewis invariant) is given by:
I = 21 [( 12 x 2 + (p x)
2]
where satisfies,
+ 2

1
=0
3

where only the real values of are chosen to ensure that I(t) is
Hermitian. The phase functions are then given by,

n (t) = (n + 12 )

Rt

dt

1
2 (t 0 )

where |n > are the normalised eigenstates of a a which is


same as the normalised eigenstates, | > of I(t) (a a is the
number operator, hence n=0,1,2....).
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Effects of non-associativity in time dependent quantum systems

Finally, by applying the time evolution operator the time


dependant eigenstate can be constructed, which is given as,

|, t >= e

2
2

n
1

e in (t) |n >

(n!) 2

These are the coherent states of the harmonic oscillator.

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Effects of non-associativity in time dependent quantum systems

Future work

Non-associativity of operators in [1], leads to interesting physical


results which are testable. One important feature is that the result
is not mimicked by the standard associative quantum mechanics.
This was done for a time independant system( in which the
magnetic field was constant in time). The future work consists of
testing non-associativiy in time dependant quantum systems,
especially in the case of time dependant harmonic oscillator and to
check whether it leads to any observable consequences.

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Effects of non-associativity in time dependent quantum systems

References

Martin Bojowald, Suddhasattwa Brahma, and Umut Bykam.


Testing nonassociative quantum mechanics.
Physical review letters, 115(22):220402, 2015.
H Ralph Lewis Jr and WB Riesenfeld.
An exact quantum theory of the time-dependent harmonic oscillator
and of a charged particle in a time-dependent electromagnetic field.
Journal of Mathematical Physics, 10(8):14581473, 1969.
Eugen Merzbacher.
Quantum mechanics, 1970.
Jun John Sakurai and Jim Napolitano.
Modern quantum mechanics.
Addison-Wesley, 2011.

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Effects of non-associativity in time dependent quantum systems

THANK YOU!

Anjusha.C

Effects of non-associativity in time dependent quantum systems

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