Jens Bolte

A semiclassical approach to the Dirac equation

Abstract We derive a semiclassical time evolution kernel and a trace formula for the Dirac equation. The classical trajectories that enter the expressions are determined by the dynamics of relativistic point particles. We carefully investigate the transport of the spin degrees of freedom along the trajectories which can be understood geometrically as parallel transport in a vector bundle with SU(2) holonomy. Furthermore, we give an interpretation in terms of a classical spin vector that is transported along the trajectories and whose dynamics, dictated by the equation of Thomas precession, gives rise to dynamical and geometric phases every orbit is weighted by. We also present an analogous approach to the Pauli equation which we analyse in two different limits.

The Trace Formula for Quantum Graphs with General Self Adjoint Boundary Conditions

Abstract.We consider compact metric graphs with an arbitrary self adjoint realisation of the differential Laplacian. After discussing spectral properties of Laplacians, we prove several versions of trace formulae, relating Laplace spectra to sums over periodic orbits on the graph. This includes trace formulae with, respectively, absolutely and conditionally convergent periodic orbit sums; the convergence depending on properties of the test functions used. We also prove a trace formula for the heat kernel and provide small-t asymptotics for the trace of the heat kernel.

SEMICLASSICAL TIME EVOLUTION AND TRACE FORMULA FOR RELATIVISTIC SPIN-1/2 PARTICLES

We investigate the Dirac equation in the semiclassical limit \hbar --> 0. A semiclassical propagator and a trace formula are derived and are shown to be determined by the classical orbits of a relativistic point particle. In addition, two phase factors enter, one of which can be calculated from the Thomas precession of a classical spin transported along the particle orbits. For the second factor we provide an interpretation in terms of dynamical and geometric phases.

Spectral statistics for the Dirac operator on graphs

We determine conditions for the quantization of graphs using the Dirac operator for both two- and four-component spinors. According to the Bohigas–Giannoni–Schmit conjecture for such systems with time-reversal symmetry the energy level statistics are expected, in the semiclassical limit, to correspond to those of random matrices from the Gaussian symplectic ensemble. This is confirmed by numerical investigation. The scattering matrix used to formulate the quantization condition is found to be independent of the type of spinor. We derive an exact trace formula for the spectrum and use this to investigate the form factor in the diagonal approximation.

A Semiclassical Egorov Theorem and Quantum Ergodicity for Matrix Valued Operators

We study the semiclassical time evolution of observables given by matrix valued pseudodifferential operators and construct a decomposition of the Hilbert space L2(d)⊗n into a finite number of almost invariant subspaces. For a certain class of observables, that is preserved by the time evolution, we prove an Egorov theorem. We then associate with each almost invariant subspace of L2(d)⊗n a classical system on a product phase space T*d×, where is a compact symplectic manifold on which the classical counterpart of the matrix degrees of freedom is represented. For the projections of eigenvectors of the quantum Hamiltonian to the almost invariant subspaces we finally prove quantum ergodicity to hold, if the associated classical systems are ergodic.

Semiclassical form factor for chaotic systems with spin

We study the properties of the two-point spectral form factor for classically chaotic systems with spin ½ in the semiclassical limit, with a suitable semiclassical trace formula as our principal tool. To this end we introduce a regularized form factor and discuss the limit in which the so-called diagonal approximation can be recovered. The incorporation of the spin contribution to the trace formula requires an appropriate variant of the equidistribution principle of long periodic orbits as well as the notion of a skew product of the classical translational and spin dynamics. Provided this skew product is mixing, we show that generically the diagonal approximation of the form factor coincides with the respective predictions from random matrix theory.

SOME STUDIES ON ARITHMETICAL CHAOS IN CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS

Several aspects of classical and quantum mechanics applied to a class of strongly chaotic systems are studied. The latter consists of single particles moving without external forces on surfaces of constant negative Gaussian curvature whose corresponding fundamental groups are supplied with an arithmetic structure. It is shown that the arithmetical features of the considered systems lead to exceptional properties of the corresponding spectra of lengths of closed geodesics (periodic orbits). The most significant one is an exponential growth of degeneracies in these geodesic length spectra. Furthermore, the arithmetical systems are distinguished by a structure that appears as a generalization of geometric symmetries. These pseudosymmetries occur in the quantization of the classical arithmetic systems as Hecke operators, which form an infinite algebra of self-adjoint operators commuting with the Hamiltonian. The statistical properties of quantum energies in the arithmetical systems have previously been identified as exceptional. They do not fit into the general scheme of random matrix theory. It is shown with the help of a simplified model for the spectral form factor how the spectral statistics in arithmetical quantum chaos can be understood by the properties of the corresponding classical geodesic length spectra. A decisive role is played by the exponentially increasing multiplicities of lengths. The model developed for the level spacings distribution and for the number variance is compared to the corresponding quantities obtained from quantum energies for a specific arithmetical system. Finally, the convergence properties of a representation for the Selberg zeta function as a Dirichlet series are studied. It turns out that the exceptional classical and quantum mechanical properties shared by the arithmetical systems prohibit a convergence of this important function in the physically interesting domain.

Oscillatory multiband dynamics of free particles: The ubiquity of zitterbewegung effects

In the Dirac theory for the motion of free relativistic electrons, highly oscillatory components appear in the time evolution of physical observables such as position, velocity, and spin angular momentum. This effect is known as zitterbewegung. We present a theoretical analysis of rather different Hamiltonians with gapped and/or spin-split energy spectrum (including the Rashba, Luttinger, and Kane Hamiltonians) that exhibit analogs of zitterbewegung as a common feature. We find that the amplitude of oscillations of the Heisenberg velocity operator v(t) generally equals the uncertainty for a simultaneous measurement of two linearly independent components of v. It is also shown that many features of zitterbewegung are shared by the simple and well-known Landau Hamiltonian, describing the dynamics of two-dimensional (2D) electron systems in the presence of a magnetic field perpendicular to the plane. Finally, we also discuss the oscillatory dynamics of 2D electrons arising from the interplay of Rashba spin splitting and a perpendicular magnetic field.

Quantum graphs with singular two-particle interactions

We construct quantum models of two particles on a compact metric graph with singular two-particle interactions. The Hamiltonians are self-adjoint realizations of Laplacians acting on functions defined on pairs of edges in such a way that the interaction is provided by boundary conditions. In order to find such Hamiltonians closed and semi-bounded quadratic forms are constructed, from which the associated self-adjoint operators are extracted. We provide a general characterization of such operators and, furthermore, produce certain classes of examples. We then consider identical particles and project to the bosonic and fermionic subspaces. Finally, we show that the operators possess purely discrete spectra and that the eigenvalues are distributed following an appropriate Weyl asymptotic law.

The spin contribution to the form factor of quantum graphs

Following the quantization of a graph with the Dirac operator (spin-1/2), we explain how additional weights in the spectral form factor K(τ) due to spin propagation around orbits produce higher order terms in the small-τ asymptotics in agreement with symplectic random matrix ensembles. We determine conditions on the group of spin rotations sufficient to generate CSE statistics.