arXiv · 0910.5017
PT-Invariance and Indefinite Metric
Abstract
A new proof is given for why the non-Hermitian, PT-Invariant cubic oscillator with imaginary coupling has real eigenvalues. The proof consists of two steps. In the first step, it is shown that for many PT-Invariant Hamiltonians, one can define corresponding Hermitian Hamiltonians that have the same eigenvalues when quantized using indefinite metric. The second step is to show that the indefinite-metric eigenvalues of the Hermitian cubic oscillator are real since the norms of its eigenstates do not vanish. The correspondence between PT-Invariant Hamiltonians and indefinite-metric Hermitian Hamiltonians is further discussed as a way to determine vacuum stability for certain supersymmetric gauge theories.
Explore related subjects
Keep this discovery
Scott Chapman. 2009-10-27. PT-Invariance and Indefinite Metric. https://arxiv.org/abs/0910.5017
Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.