English

Algebra for Fractional Statistics -- interpolating from fermions to bosons

High Energy Physics - Theory 2020-05-06 v1 Statistical Mechanics Quantum Physics

Abstract

This article constructs the Hilbert space for the algebra αβeiθβα=1\alpha \beta - e^{i \theta} \beta \alpha = 1 that provides a continuous interpolation between the Clifford and Heisenberg algebras. This particular form is inspired by the properties of anyons. We study the eigenvalues of a generalized number operator (N=βα{\cal N} = \beta \alpha) and construct the Hilbert space, classified by values of a complex coordinate (λ0\lambda_0): the eigenvalues lie on a circle. For θ\theta being an irrational multiple of 2π2 \pi, we get an infinite-dimensional representation, however for a rational multiple (MN\frac{M}{N}) of 2π2 \pi, it is finite-dimensional, parametrized by the complex coordinate λ0\lambda_0. The case for N=2;θ=πN=2 \: ; \: \theta=\pi is the usual Clifford algebra for fermions, while the case for N=;θ=0N=\infty \: ; \: \theta=0 is the Heisenberg algebra of bosons, albeit with two copies for positive and negative eigenvalues. We find a smooth transition from the fermion to the boson situation as NN \rightarrow \infty from N=2N=2. After constructing the Hilbert space from the algebra, the cases for N=2,3N=2,3 can be mapped to SU(2)SU(2). Then, we motivate the study of coherent states, rather generally. The coherent states are eigenstates of α\alpha, the annihilation operator and are labeled by complex numbers for non-zero λ0\lambda_0.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2005.02172,
  title  = {Algebra for Fractional Statistics -- interpolating from fermions to bosons},
  author = {Satish Ramakrishna},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2005.02172},
  year   = {2020}
}