Elementary quantum mechanics in a space-time lattice

DOI10.1007/S10773-011-0677-2MaRDI QIDQ644340zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Manjit Bhatia, P. Narayana Swamy

Publication date 4 November 2011

Published in International Journal of Theoretical Physics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1011.2544

discrete variable discrete coordinates discrete derivative discrete integrals non-continuous variable

Closed and approximate solutions to the Schrödinger, Dirac, Klein-Gordon and other equations of quantum mechanics (81Q05)

Abstract: Studies of quantum fields and gravity suggest the existence of a minimal length, such as Planck length cite{Floratos,Kempf}. It is natural to ask how the existence of a minimal length may modify the results in elementary quantum mechanics (QM) problems familiar to us cite{Gasiorowicz}. In this paper we address a simple problem from elementary non-relativistic quantum mechanics, called "particle in a box", where the usual continuum (1+1)-space-time is supplanted by a space-time lattice. Our lattice consists of a grid of

l a m b d a_{0} i m e s a u_{0}

rectangles, where

l a m b d a_{0}

, the lattice parameter, is a fundamental length (say Planck length) and, we take

a u_{0}

to be equal to

l a m b d a_{0} / c

. The corresponding Schrodinger equation becomes a difference equation, the solution of which yields the

q

-eigenfunctions and

q

-eigenvalues of the energy operator as a function of

l a m b d a_{0}

. The

q

-eigenfunctions form an orthonormal set and both

q

-eigenfunctions and

q

-eigenvalues reduce to continuum solutions as

l a m b d a_{0} i g h t a r r o w 0.

The corrections to eigenvalues because of the assumed lattice is shown to be

O (l a m b d a_{0}^{2}) .

We then compute the uncertainties in position and momentum,

D e l t a x, D e l t a p

for the box problem and study the consequent modification of Heisenberg uncertainty relation due to the assumption of space-time lattice, in contrast to modifications suggested by other investigations such as cite{Floratos}.

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