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Real Spectra in Non-Hermitian Hamiltonians Having PT Symmetry

Mathematical Physics 2009-10-30 v3 Condensed Matter High Energy Physics - Theory math.MP Quantum Physics

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{\cal PT} symmetry, one obtains new infinite classes of complex Hamiltonians whose spectra are also real and positive. These PT{\cal 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.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.physics/9712001,
  title  = {Real Spectra in Non-Hermitian Hamiltonians Having PT Symmetry},
  author = {Carl M. Bender and Stefan Boettcher},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:physics/9712001},
  year   = {2009}
}

Comments

5 pages, RevTex, 3 figures as epsf, as to appear in PRL