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Exact PT-Symmetry Is Equivalent to Hermiticity

Quantum Physics 2008-11-26 v2 High Energy Physics - Theory Mathematical Physics math.MP

Abstract

We show that a quantum system possessing an exact antilinear symmetry, in particular PT-symmetry, is equivalent to a quantum system having a Hermitian Hamiltonian. We construct the unitary operator relating an arbitrary non-Hermitian Hamiltonian with exact PT-symmetry to a Hermitian Hamiltonian. We apply our general results to PT-symmetry in finite-dimensions and give the explicit form of the above-mentioned unitary operator and Hermitian Hamiltonian in two dimensions. Our findings lead to the conjecture that non-Hermitian CPT-symmetric field theories are equivalent to certain nonlocal Hermitian field theories.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.quant-ph/0304080,
  title  = {Exact PT-Symmetry Is Equivalent to Hermiticity},
  author = {Ali Mostafazadeh},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:quant-ph/0304080},
  year   = {2008}
}

Comments

Few typos have been corrected and a reference updated

R2 v1 2026-07-22T19:39:00.386Z