Real Spectra in Non-Hermitian Hamiltonians Having PT Symmetry
Abstract
The condition of self-adjointness ensures that the eigenvalues of a Hamiltonian are real and bounded below. Replacing this condition by the weaker condition of PT symmetry, one obtains new infinite classes of complex Hamiltonians whose spectra are also real and positive. These PT symmetric theories may be viewed as analytic continuations of conventional theories from real to complex phase space. This paper describes the unusual classical and quantum properties of these theories.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review Letters
- Pub Date:
- June 1998
- DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevLett.80.5243
- arXiv:
- arXiv:physics/9712001
- Bibcode:
- 1998PhRvL..80.5243B
- Keywords:
-
- Mathematical Physics;
- Condensed Matter;
- High Energy Physics - Theory;
- Quantum Physics
- E-Print:
- 5 pages, RevTex, 3 figures as epsf, as to appear in PRL