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M. S. Shikakhwa

Publications and source records attributed to M. S. Shikakhwa.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2026

The Vector and Canonical Components of the Momentum Operator in 3D Euclidean Space Spanned by General Curvilinear Coordinates

We construct the Hermitian vector and canonical components of the momentum operator in 3D Euclidean space spanned by general curvilinear coordinates (GCC's) using a simple, natural and unified approach based on identifying the momentum operator in any coordinate system as mass times the velocity operator. When this latter is calculated by applying the Heisenberg equation of motion, it returns ($-i\hbar$ times) the gradient operator plus an additional zero-valued sum, which when distributed among the components of the gradient, it makes each the Hermitian vector component of the momentum operator in GCC's. The canonical components follow immediately upon symmetrizing each of these vector components in the corresponding base vector. For accessability by wider audiences, we first develop the formalism for the simple polar coordinates and then we develop the case for GCC's.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2024

Hamiltonian, Geometric Momentum and Force Operators for a Spin Zero Particle on a Curve: Physical Approach

The Hamiltonian for a spin zero particle that is confined to a curve embedded in the 3D space is constructed by squeezing the coordinates spanning a tube normal to the curve onto the curve assuming strong normal forces. We follow the new approach that we applied to confine a particle to a surface, in that we start with an expression for the 3D momentum operators whose components along and normal to the curve directions are separately Hermitian. The kinetic energy operator expressed in terms of the momentum operator in the normal direction is then a Hermitian operator in this case. When this operator is dropped and the thickness of the tube surrounding the curve is set to zero, one automatically gets the Hermitian curve Hamiltonian that contains the geometric potential term as expected. It is demonstrated that the origin of this potential lies in the ordering or symmetrization of the original 3D momentum operators in order to render them Hermitian. The Hermitian momentum operator for the particle as it is confined to the curve is also constructed and is seen to be similar to what is known as the geometric momentum of a particle confined to a surface in that it has a term proportional to the curvature that is along the normal to the curve. The force operator of the particle on the curve is also derived, and is shown to reduce, for a curve with a constant curvature and torsion, to a -- apparently -- single component normal to the curve that is a symmetrization of the classical expression plus a quantum term. All the above quantities are then derived for the specific case of a particle confined to a cylindrical helix embedded in 3D space.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2021

Constructing Hermitian Hamiltonians for spin zero neutral and charged particles on a curved surface : physical approach

The surface Hamiltonian for a spin zero particle that is pinned to a surface by letting the thickness of a layer surrounding the surface go to zero -- assuming a strong normal force -- is constructed. The new approach we follow to achieve this is to start with an expression for the 3D momentum operators whose components along the surface and the normal to the surface are separately Hermitian. The normal part of the kinetic energy operator is a Hermitian operator in this case. When this operator is dropped and the thickness of the layer is set to zero, one automatically gets the Hermitian surface Hamiltonian that contains the geometric potential term as expected. Hamiltonians for both a neutral and a charged particle in an electromagnetic field are constructed. We show that a Hermitian surface and normal momenta emerge automatically once one symmetrizes the usual normal and surface momentum operators. The present approach makes it manifest that the geometrical potential originates from the term that is added to the surface momentum operator to render it Hermitian; this term itself emerges from symmetrization/ordering of differential momentum operators in curvilinear coordinates. We investigate the connection between this approach and the similar approach of Jenssen and Koppe and Costa ( the so called Thin-Layer Quantization (TLQ)). We note that the critical transformation of the wavefunction introduced there before taking the thickness of the layer to zero actually -- while not noted explicitly stated by the authors -- renders each of the surface and normal kinetic energy operators Hermitian by itself, which is just what our approach does from the onset.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2021

Pure Gauge Spin-Orbit Couplings

Planar systems with a general linear spin-orbit interaction (SOI) that can be cast in the form of a non-Abelian pure gauge field are investigated using the language of non-Abelian gauge field theory. A special class of these fields that, though a $2\times2$ matrix, are Abelian are seen to emerge and their general form is given. It is shown that the unitary transformation that gauges away these fields induces at the same time a rotation on the wavefunction about a fixed axis but with a space-dependent angle, both of which being characteristics of the SOI involved.The experimentally important case of equal-strength Rashba and Dresselhaus SOI (R+D SOI) is shown to fall within this special class of Abelian gauge fields, and the phenomenon of Persistent Spin Helix (PSH) that emerges in the presence of this latter SOI in a plane is shown to fit naturally within the general formalism developed. The general formalism is also extended to the case of a particle confined to a ring. It is shown that the Hamiltonian on a ring in the presence of equal-strength R+D SOI is unitarily equivalent to that of a particle subject to only a spin-independent but $θ$-dependent potential with the unitary transformation relating the two being again the space-dependent rotation operator characteristic of R+D SOI.

hep-th↗
arXiv2018

The quantum centripetal force on a free particle confined to the surface of a sphere and a cylinder

The momentum operator for a spin-less particle when confined to a 2D surface embedded into 3D space acquires a geometrical component proportional to the mean curvature that renders it Hermitian. As a consequence, the quantum force operator for a particle confined to spherical and cylindrical surfaces, and free otherwise, derived by applying the Heisenberg equation of motion is found to have an apparently no-radial component in addition to the standard classical radial centripetal force. This component which renders the force operator Hermitian is shown to be essential for the vanishing of the torque the force exerts on the particle and so for the conservation of orbital angular momentum and energy. It is demonstrated that the total force is in fact radial as should be the case for a torque-less one and so can be identified as the quantum centripetal force.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2018

Spin Force and Torque in Non-relativistic Dirac Oscillator on a Sphere

The spin force operator on a non-relativistic Dirac oscillator ( in the non-relativistic limit the Dirac oscillator is a spin one-half 3D harmonic oscillator with strong spin-orbit interaction) is derived using the Heisenberg equations of motion and is seen to be formally similar to the force by the electromagnetic field on a moving charged particle . When confined to a sphere of radius R, it is shown that the Hamiltonian of this non-relativistic oscillator can be expressed as a mere kinetic energy operator with an anomalous part. As a result, the power by the spin force and torque operators in this case are seen to vanish. The spin force operator on the sphere is calculated explicitly and its torque is shown to be equal to the rate of change of the kinetic orbital angular momentum operator, again with an anomalous part. This, along with the conservation of the total angular momentum, suggest that the spin force exerts a spin-dependent torque on the kinetic orbital angular momentum operator in order to conserve total angular momentum. The presence of an anomalous spin part in the kinetic orbital angular momentum operator gives rise to an oscillatory behavior similar to the \textit{Zitterbewegung}. It is suggested that the underlying physics that gives rise to the spin force and the \textit{Zitterbewegung} is one and the same in NRDO and in systems that manifest spin Hall effect.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗
arXiv2016

Hermitian and Gauge-Covariant Hamiltonians for a particle in a magnetic field on Cylindrical and Spherical Surfaces

We construct the Hermitian Schrödinger Hamiltonian of spin-less as well as the gauge-covariant Pauli Hamiltonian of spin one-half particles in a magnetic field that are confined to cylindrical and spherical surfaces. The approach does not require the use of involved differential-geometrical methods and is intuitive and physical, relying on the general requirements of Hermicity and gauge-covariance. The surfaces are embedded in the full three-dimensional space and confinement to the surfaces is achieved by strong radial potentials. We identify the Hermitian and gauge-covariant (in the presence of a magnetic field) physical radial momentum in each case and set it to zero upon confinement to the surfaces . The resulting surface Hamiltonians are seen to be automatically Hermitian and gauge-covariant. The well-known geometrical kinetic energy also emerges naturally.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2016

Hamiltonian for a particle in a magnetic field on a curved surface in orthogonal curvilinear coordinates

The Schrödinger Hamiltonian of a spin zero particle as well as the Pauli Hamiltonian with spin-orbit coupling included of a spin one-half particle in electromagnetic fields that are confined to a curved surface embedded in a three-dimensional space spanned by a general Orthogonal Curvilinear Coordinate (OCC) are constructed. A new approach, based on the physical argument that upon squeezing the particle to the surface by a potential, then it is the physical gauge-covariant kinematical momentum operator (velocity operator) transverse to the surface that should be dropped from the Hamiltonian(s). In both cases,the resulting Hermitian gauge-invariant Hamiltonian on the surface is free from any reference to the component of the vector potential transverse to the surface, and the approach is completely gauge-independent. In particular, for the Pauli Hamiltonian these results are obtained exactly without any further assumptions or approximations. Explicit covariant plug-and-play formulae for the Schrödinger Hamiltonians on the surfaces of a cylinder, a sphere and a torus are derived.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2016

Gauge Covariance and Spin Current Conservation in the Gauge Field Formulation of Systems with Spin-Orbit Coupling

The question of gauge-covariance in the non-Abelian gauge-field formulation of two space-dimensional systems with spin-orbit coupling relevant to spintronics is investigated. Although, these are generally gauge-fixed models, it is found that for the class of gauge fields that are space-time independent and satisfy a U(1) algebra, thus having a vanishing field strength, there is a residual gauge freedom in the Hamiltonian. The gauge transformations assume the form of a space-dependent rotation of the transformed wave functions with rotation angles and axes determined by the specific form of the gauge-field, i.e., the spin-orbit coupling. The fields can be gauged away, reducing the Hamiltonian to one which is isospectral to the free-particle Hamiltonian, and giving rise to the phenomenon of persistent spin helix reported first by B.~A.~Bernevig \emph{et al.} [Phys.~Rev.~Lett. \textbf{97}, 236601 (2006)]. The investigation of the global gauge transformations leads to the derivation of a continuity equation where the component of the spin-density along given directions, again fixed by the specific form of the gauge field, is conserved.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗
arXiv2015

Hermitian spin-orbit Hamiltonians on a surface in orthogonal curvilinear coordinates: a new practical approach

The Hermitian Hamiltonian of a spin one-half particle with spin-orbit coupling (SOC) confined to a surface that is embedded in a three-dimensional space spanned by a general Orthogonal Curvilinear Coordinate (OCC) is constructed. A gauge field formalism, where the SOC is expressed as a non-Abelian $SU(2)$ gauge field is used. A new practical approach, based on the physical argument that upon confining the particle to the surface by a potential, then it is the physical Hermitian momentum operator transverse to the surface, rather than just the derivative with respect to the transverse coordinate that should be dropped from the Hamiltonian.Doing so, it is shown that the Hermitian Hamiltonian for SOC is obtained with the geometric potential and the geometric kinetic energy terms emerging naturally. The geometric potential is shown to represent a coupling between the transverse component of the gauge field and the mean curvature of the surface that replaces the coupling between the transverse momentum and the gauge field. The most general Hermitian Hamiltonian with linear SOC on a general surface embedded in any 3D OCC system is reported. Explicit plug-and-play formulae for this Hamiltonian on the surfaces of a cylinder, a sphere and a torus are given. The formalism is applied to the Rashba SOC in three dimensions (3D RSOC) and the explicit expressions for the surface Hamiltonians on these three geometries are worked out.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗
arXiv2010

Effective polar potential in the central force Schrodinger equation

The angular part of the Schrodinger equation for a central potential is brought to the one-dimensional 'Schrodinger form' where one has a kinetic energy plus potential energy terms. The resulting polar potential is seen to be a family of potentials characterized by the square of the magnetic quantum number m. It is demonstrated that this potential can be viewed as a confining potential that attempts to confine the particle to the xy-plane, with a strength that increases with increasing m. Linking the solutions of the equation to the conventional solutions of the angular equation, i.e. the associated Legendre functions, we show that the variation in the spatial distribution of the latter for different values of the orbital angular quantum number l can be viewed as being a result of 'squeezing' with different strengths by the introduced 'polar potential'.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2010

SU(2) Symmetry and Conservation of Helicity for a Dirac Particle in a Static Magnetic Field at First Order

We investigate the spin dynamics and the conservation of helicity in the first order $S-$matrix of a Dirac particle in any static magnetic field. We express the dynamical quantities using a coordinate system defined by the three mutually orthogonal vectors; the total momentum $\mathbf{k}=\mathbf{p_f}+\mathbf{p_i}$, the momentum transfer $\mathbf{q}=\mathbf{p_f-p_i}$, and $\mathbf{l}=\mathbf{k\times q}$. We show that this leads to an alternative symmetric description of the conservation of helicity in a static magnetic field at first order. In particular, we show that helicity conservation in the transition can be viewed as the invariance of the component of the spin along $\mathbf{k}$, and the flipping of its component along $\mathbf{q}$, just as what happens to the momentum vector of a ball bouncing off a wall. We also derive a "plug and play" formula for the transition matrix element where the only reference to the specific field configuration, and the incident and outgoing momenta is through the kinematical factors multiplying a general matrix element that is independent of the specific vector potential present.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2007

The Spin Interaction of a Dirac Particle in an Aharonov-Bohm Potential in First Order Scattering

For a Dirac particle in an Aharonov-Bohm (AB) potential, it is shown that the spin interaction (SI) operator which governs the transitions in the spin sector of the first order S-matrix is related to one of the generators of rotation in the spin space of the particle. This operator, which is given by the projection of the spin operator $\mathbfΣ$ along the direction of the total momentum of the system, and the two operators constructed from the projections of the $\mathbfΣ$ operator along the momentum transfer and the z-directions close the SU(2) algebra.It is suggested, then, that these two directions of the total momentum and the momentum transfer form some sort of natural intrinsic directions in terms of which the spin dynamics of the scattering process at first order can be formulated conveniently. A formulation and an interpretation of the conservation of helicity at first order using the spin projection operators along these directions is presented .

hep-th↗
arXiv2006

Dirac Particle in an Aharonov-Bohm Potential: The Structure of the First Order S-matrix

The structure of the interaction Hamiltonian in the first order $S-$matrix element of a Dirac particle in an Aharonov-Bohm (AB) field is analyzed and shown to have interesting algebraic properties. It is demonstrated that as a consequence of these properties, this interaction Hamiltonian splits both the incident and outgoing waves in the the first order $S-$matrix into their $\frac{Σ_3}{2}-$components (eigenstates of the third component of the spin). The matrix element can then be viewed as the sum of two transitions taking place in these two channels of the spin. At the level of partial waves, each partial wave of the conserved total angular momentum is split into two partial waves of the orbital angular momentum in a manner consistent with the conservation of the total angular momentum quantum number.

hep-th↗
arXiv2005

Conservation of Helicity and SU(2) Symmetry in First Order Scattering

The structure of the spin interaction operator (SI) (the interaction that remains after space variables are integrated out) in the first order S-matrix element of the elastic scattering of a Dirac particle in a general helicity-conserving vector potential is investigated.It is shown that the conservation of helicity dictates a specific form of the SI regardless of the explicit form of the vector potential. This SI closes the SU(2) algebra with other two operators in the spin space of the particle. The directions of the momentum transfer vector and the vector bisecting the scattering angle seem to define some sort of "intrinsic" axes at this order that act as some symmetry axes for the whole spin dynamics . The conservation of helicity at this order can be formulated as the invariance of the component of the helicity of the particle along the bisector of the scattering angle in the transition.

hep-th↗
arXiv2004

Scalar Pair Production in the Aharonov-Bohm Potential

In the framework of QED, scalar pair production by a single linearly polarized high-energy photon in the presence of an external Aharonov-Bohm potential is investigated. The exact scattering solutions of the Klein-Gordon equation in cylindrically symmetric field are constructed and used to write the first order transition amplitude. The matrix elements and the corresponding differential scattering cross-section are calculated. The pair production at both the nonrelativistic and the ultrarelativistic limits is discussed.

hep-th↗
arXiv2004

Perturbative Study of Bremsstrahlung and Pair-Production by Spin-1/2 Particles in the Aharonov-Bohm Potential

In the presence of an external Aharonov-Bohm potential, we investigate the two QED processes of the emission of a bremsstrahlung photon by an electron, and the production of an electron-positron pair by a single photon. Calculations are carried out using the Born approximation within the framework of covariant perturbation theory to lowest non-vanishing order in α. The matrix element for each process is derived, and the corresponding differential cross-section is calculated. In the non-relativistic limit, the resulting angular and spectral distributions and some polarization properties are considered, and compared to results of previous works.

hep-th↗