Semiclassical periodic-orbit theory for quantum spectra
Quantum Physics
2026-05-20 v1 Mathematical Physics
math.MP
Chaotic Dynamics
Abstract
Gutzwiller's trace formula has a central place in quantum chaos because it provides semiclassical approximations for quantum energy levels in classically chaotic systems by linking them to classical periodic orbits. In this didactic article, we discuss a derivation of the trace formula starting from the Feynman path integral. We then describe how the trace formula is used to explain universal features in the distribution of the quantum energy levels that are described by random matrix theory, and we give an overview of related work.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2605.19019,
title = {Semiclassical periodic-orbit theory for quantum spectra},
author = {Sebastian Müller and Martin Sieber},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2605.19019},
year = {2026}
}
Comments
Chapter for the Quantum Chaos volume in 'Comprehensive Quantum Mechanics', to be published by Elsevier (Main editor: R.B. Mann; volume editors: S. Gnutzmann and K. {\.Z}yczkowski). 30 pages, 11 figures