Exercises in exact quantization

DOI10.1088/0305-4470/33/41/311MaRDI QIDQ2711827zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors André Voros

Publication date 26 April 2001

Published in Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and General (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/math-ph/0005029

zbMATH Keywords

1D Schrödinger equationexact quantizationexact WKB analysispolynomial potentialsspectral determinantsspectral zeta functions

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Other Dirichlet series and zeta functions (11M41) Miscellaneous applications of number theory (11Z05) Singular perturbations, turning point theory, WKB methods for ordinary differential equations (34E20) Functional analytic techniques in dynamical systems; zeta functions, (Ruelle-Frobenius) transfer operators, etc. (37C30) Spectral problems; spectral geometry; scattering theory on manifolds (58J50) Determinants and determinant bundles, analytic torsion (58J52) Selfadjoint operator theory in quantum theory, including spectral analysis (81Q10)

Abstract: The formalism of exact 1D quantization is reviewed in detail and applied to the spectral study of three concrete Schr"odinger Hamiltonians $[-d^2/d{q}^2+V(q){]}^{p}m$ on the half-line $q>0$, with a Dirichlet (-) or Neumann (+) condition at q=0. Emphasis is put on the analytical investigation of the spectral determinants and spectral zeta functions with respect to singular perturbation parameters. We first discuss the homogeneous potential $V(q)=q^N$ as $No+infty$vs its (solvable) $N=infty$ limit (an infinite square well): useful distinctions are established between regular and singular behaviours of spectral quantities; various identities among the square-well spectral functions are unraveled as limits of finite-N properties. The second model is the quartic anharmonic oscillator: its zero-energy spectral determinants $det(-d^2/d{q}^2+q^4+v{q}^2{)}^{p}m$ are explicitly analyzed in detail, revealing many special values, algebraic identities between Taylor coefficients, and functional equations of a quartic type coupled to asymptotic $vo+infty$ properties of Airy type. The third study addresses the potentials $V(q)=q^N+v{q}^{N/2-1}$ of even degree: their zero-energy spectral determinants prove computable in closed form, and the generalized eigenvalue problems with v as spectral variable admit exact quantization formulae which are perfect extensions of the harmonic oscillator case (corresponding to N=2); these results probably reflect the presence of supersymmetric potentials in the family above.

Review text

As the author observes, exact quantization, or exact WKB analysis, supplies new tools for the analytical study of the 1D Schrödinger equation, including arbitrary polynomial potentials. This is a clearly written paper where the author reviews in detail the formalism of exact 1D quantization and applies it to the spectral study of three concrete Schrödinger Hamiltonians \([-\partial^2/ \partial q^2+V (q)]^\pm\) on the half-line \(\{q>0\}\), with a Dirichlet \((-)\) or Neumann \((+)\) condition at \(q=0\). Three rather different quantum potentials are chosen to illustrate a variety of situations, which have some basic common features: they are rather simple, with a minimal number of parameters to remain concretely manageable, and one crucial parameter governs the transition to a singular limit, creating an interesting dynamical and analytical situation. Emphasis is put on the analytical investigation of the spectral determinants and spectral zeta functions with respect to singular perturbation parameters. First, the homogeneous potential \(V(q)=q^N\) as \(N\to+ \infty\) vs its (solvable) \(N=\infty\) limit (an infinite square well) is discussed and useful distinctions are established between regular and singular behaviours of spectral quantities. Moreover, various identities among the square-well spectral functions are unraveled, as limits of finite-\(N\) properties. In summary, here the author mainly proposes and tests some general principles of investigation, rather than claims truly new results. The second model is the quartic anharmonic oscillator family \(V(q)= q^4+vq^2\), which is the most common model for singular perturbation theory (the free harmonic oscillator emerges in the \(v\to +\infty\) limit). Here the zero-energy spectral determinants \(\det(- \partial^2/ \partial q^2+ q^4+vq^2)^\pm\) are explicitly analyzed, revealing many special values, algebraic identities between Taylor coefficients, and functional equations of a quartic type coupled to asymptotic \(v\to +\infty\) properties of Airy type. The third study gives a complete treatment of the similar determinants for a different class of binomial potentials, \(V(q)=q^N +vq^{N/2-1}\) of even degree \(N\). Here the formalism yields fully closed forms for the zero-energy determinants \(\det[-\partial^2/ \partial q^2+V(q)]\) in terms of gamma functions, with exponential prefactors requiring a careful exact calculation. The generalized spectrum (in the \(v\) variable) also becomes completely explicit under an exact quantization condition. The overall analytical structure is a complete generalization of the familiar, exact harmonic-oscillator results, and it seemingly describes a zero-energy cross-section of the formalism for quasi-exactly solvable models. Although all three problems rely on the same background formalism, they can be approached fairly independently from one another. Accordingly, there are no global conclusions and each case carries its own concluding remarks by the author.

Recommendations

• From exact-WKB towards singular quantum perturbation theory
• Zeta-regularization for exact-WKB resolution of a general 1D Schrödinger equation
• Exact anharmonic quantization condition (in one dimension)
• Exact quantization condition for anharmonic oscillators (in one dimension)
• Exact quantization method for the polynomial 1D Schrödinger equation

Cited in

(14)

• From exact-WKB towards singular quantum perturbation theory
• On infinite walls in deformation quantization
• Zeta-regularization for exact-WKB resolution of a general 1D Schrödinger equation
• Heat-kernel expansion on noncompact domains and a generalized zeta-function regularization procedure
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 5313383 (Why is no real title available?)
• Convergence of a quantum normal form and an exact quantization formula
• Airy function - exact WKB results for potentials of odd degree
• Exact anharmonic quantization condition (in one dimension)
• Exhausting Formal Quantization Procedures
• From exact-WKB toward singular quantum perturbation theory. II
• An anharmonic alliance: exact WKB meets EPT
• Exact quantization and analytic continuation
• The spectral determinant for second-order elliptic operators on the real line
• Asymptotics of eigenvalues of non-self-adjoint Schrödinger operators on a half-line

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