New Journal of Physics (Jan 2018)

Lorentz quantum mechanics

  • Qi Zhang,
  • Biao Wu

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/aa8496
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 20, no. 1
p. 013024

Abstract

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We present a theoretical framework for the dynamics of bosonic Bogoliubov quasiparticles. We call it Lorentz quantum mechanics because the dynamics is a continuous complex Lorentz transformation in complex Minkowski space. In contrast, in usual quantum mechanics, the dynamics is the unitary transformation in Hilbert space. In our Lorentz quantum mechanics, three types of state exist: space-like, light-like and time-like. Fundamental aspects are explored in parallel to the usual quantum mechanics, such as a matrix form of a Lorentz transformation, and the construction of Pauli-like matrices for spinors. We also investigate the adiabatic evolution in these mechanics, as well as the associated Berry curvature and Chern number. Three typical physical systems, where bosonic Bogoliubov quasi-particles and their Lorentz quantum dynamics can arise, are presented. They are a one-dimensional fermion gas, Bose–Einstein condensate (or superfluid), and one-dimensional antiferromagnet.

Keywords