Is space-time symmetry a suitable generalization of parity-time symmetry?
- Facultad de Ciencias, CUICBAS, Universidad de Colima, Bernal Díaz del Castillo 340, Colima, Colima (Mexico)
- INIFTA (UNLP, CCT La Plata-CONICET), División Química Teórica, Diag. 113 y 64 (S/N), Sucursal 4, Casilla de Correo 16, 1900 La Plata (Argentina)
We discuss space-time symmetric Hamiltonian operators of the form H=H{sub 0}+igH{sup ′}, where H{sub 0} is Hermitian and g real. H{sub 0} is invariant under the unitary operations of a point group G while H{sup ′} is invariant under transformation by elements of a subgroup G{sup ′} of G. If G exhibits irreducible representations of dimension greater than unity, then it is possible that H has complex eigenvalues for sufficiently small nonzero values of g. In the particular case that H is parity-time symmetric then it appears to exhibit real eigenvalues for all 00. We illustrate the main theoretical results and conclusions of this paper by means of two- and three-dimensional Hamiltonians exhibiting a variety of different point-group symmetries. - Highlights: • Space-time symmetry is a generalization of PT symmetry. • The eigenvalues of a space-time Hamiltonian are either real or appear as pairs of complex conjugate numbers. • In some cases all the eigenvalues are real for some values of a potential-strength parameter g. • At some value of g space-time symmetry is broken and complex eigenvalues appear. • Some multidimensional oscillators exhibit broken space-time symmetry for all values of g.
- OSTI ID:
- 22403449
- Journal Information:
- Annals of Physics (New York), Vol. 350; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2014 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-4916
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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