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Real Spectra in Non-Hermitian Hamiltonians Having PT Symmetry

Carl M. Bender·Stefan Boettcher
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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 ${\cal PT}$ symmetry, one obtains new infinite classes of complex Hamiltonians whose spectra are also real and positive. These ${\cal PT}$ 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.

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BibTeXRIS

Carl M. Bender, Stefan Boettcher. 1998-05-06. Real Spectra in Non-Hermitian Hamiltonians Having PT Symmetry. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.80.5243

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