Search Results (35)

We present the first step toward the quantum computing (QC) formulation of the electron nuclear dynamics (END) method within the variational quantum simulator (VQS) scheme: END/QC/VQS. END is a time-dependent, variational, on-the-flight, and non-adiabatic method to simulate chemical reactions. END represents nuclei with frozen Gaussian wave packets and electrons with a single-determinantal state in the Thouless non-unitary representation. Within the hybrid quantum/classical VQS, END/QC/VQS currently evaluates the metric matrix M and gradient vector V of the symplectic END/QC equations on the QC software development kit QISKIT, and calculates basis function integrals and time evolution on a classical computer. To adapt END to QC, we substitute the Thouless non-unitary representation with Fukutome unitary representation. We derive the first END/QC/VQS version for pure electronic dynamics in multielectron chemical models consisting of two-electron units with fixed nuclei. Therein, Fukutome unitary matrices factorize into triads of one-qubit rotational matrices, which leads to a QC encoding of one electron per qubit. We design QC circuits to evaluate M and V in one-electron diatomic molecules. In log2-log2 plots, errors and deviations of those evaluations decrease linearly with the number of shots and with slopes = −1/2. We illustrate an END/QC/VQS simulation with the pure electronic dynamics of H₂⁺ We discuss the present results and future END/QC/QVS extensions. Full article

Wigner’s classification has led to the insight that projective unitary representations play a prominent role in quantum mechanics. The physics literature often states that the theory of projective unitary representations can be reduced to the theory of ordinary unitary representations by enlarging the group of physical symmetries. Nevertheless, the enlargement process is not always described explicitly: it is unclear in which cases the enlargement has to be conducted on the universal cover, a central extension, or a central extension of the universal cover. On the other hand, in the mathematical literature, projective unitary representations have been extensively studied, and famous theorems such as the theorems of Bargmann and Cassinelli have been achieved. The present article bridges the two: we provide a precise, step-by-step guide on describing projective unitary representations as unitary representations of the enlarged group. Particular focus is paid to the difference between algebraic and topological obstructions. To build the bridge mentioned above, we present a detailed review of the difference between group cohomology and Lie group cohomology. This culminates in classifying Lie group central extensions by smooth cocycles around the identity. Finally, the take-away message is a hands-on algorithm that takes the symmetry group of a given quantum theory as input and provides the enlarged group as output. This algorithm is applied to several cases of physical interest. We also briefly outline a generalization of Bargmann’s theory to time-dependent phases using Hilbert bundles. Full article

A consistent theory of quantum entanglement requires that constituent single-particle states belong to the same Hilbert space, the coherent eigenstates of a complete set of operators in a given representation, defined with respect to a shared continuous parameterization. Formulating such eigenstates for a single relativistic particle with spin, and applying them to the description of many-body states, presents well-known challenges. In this paper, we review the covariant theory of relativistic spin and entanglement in a framework first proposed by Stueckelberg and developed by Horwitz, Piron, et al. This approach modifies Wigner’s method by introducing an arbitrary timelike unit vector $n^{\mu }$ and then inducing a representation of $SL(2,C)$, based on $p^{\mu }$ rather than on the spacetime momentum. Generalizing this approach, we construct relativistic spin states on an extended phase space $\{(x^{\mu },p^{\mu }),({\zeta }^{\mu },{\pi }^{\mu })\}$, inducing a representation on the momentum ${\pi }^{\mu }$, thus providing a novel dynamical interpretation of the timelike unit vector $n^{\mu }={\pi }^{\mu }/M$. Studying the unitary representations of the Poincaré group on the extended phase space allows us to define basis quantities for quantum states and develop the gauge invariant electromagnetic Hamiltonian in classical and quantum mechanics. We write plane wave solutions for free particles and construct stable singlet states, and relate these to experiments involving temporal interference, analogous to the spatial interference known from double slit experiments. Full article

In a recent contribution, we identified possible points of contact between the asymptotically safe and canonical approaches to quantum gravity. The idea is to start from the reduced phase space (often called relational) formulation of canonical quantum gravity, which provides a reduced (or physical) Hamiltonian for the true (observable) degrees of freedom. The resulting reduced phase space is then canonically quantized, and one can construct the generating functional of time-ordered Wightman (i.e., Feynman) or Schwinger distributions, respectively, from the corresponding time-translation unitary group or contraction semigroup, respectively, as a path integral. For the unitary choice, that path integral can be rewritten in terms of the Lorentzian Einstein–Hilbert action plus observable matter action and a ghost action. The ghost action depends on the Hilbert space representation chosen for the canonical quantization and a reduction term that encodes the reduction of the full phase space to the phase space of observables. This path integral can then be treated with the methods of asymptotically safe quantum gravity in its Lorentzian version. We also exemplified the procedure using a concrete, minimalistic example, namely Einstein–Klein–Gordon theory, with as many neutral and massless scalar fields as there are spacetime dimensions. However, no explicit calculations were performed. In this paper, we fill in the missing steps. Particular care is needed due to the necessary switch to Lorentzian signature, which has a strong impact on the convergence of “heat” kernel time integrals in the heat kernel expansion of the trace involved in the Wetterich equation and which requires different cut-off functions than in the Euclidian version. As usual we truncate at relatively low order and derive and solve the resulting flow equations in that approximation. Full article

Starting from the very first principles we derive explicit parameterizations of the ortho-symplectic matrices in the real four-dimensional Euclidean space. These matrices depend on a set of four real parameters which splits naturally as a union of the real line and the three-dimensional space. It turns out that each of these sets is associated with a separate Lie algebra which after exponentiations generates Lie groups that commute between themselves. Besides, by making use of the Cayley and Fedorov maps, we have arrived at alternative realizations of the ortho-symplectic matrices in four dimensions. Finally, relying on the fundamental structure results in Lie group theory we have derived one more explicit parameterization of these matrices which suggests that the obtained earlier results can be viewed as a universal method for building the representations of the unitary groups in arbitrary dimension. Full article

We geometrically derive the explicit form of the unitary representation of the Poincaré group for vector-valued wave functions and use it to apply speed-of-light boosts to a simple polarization basis to end up with a Hawton–Baylis photon position operator with commuting components. We give explicit formulas for other photon boost eigenmodes. We investigate the underlying affine connections on the light cone in momentum space and find that while the Pryce connection is metric semi-symmetric, the flat Hawton–Baylis connection is not semi-symmetric. Finally, we discuss the localizability of photon states on closed loops and show that photon states on the circle, both unnormalized improper states and finite-norm wave packet smeared-over washer-like regions are strictly localized not only with respect to Hawton–Baylis operators with commuting components but also with respect to the noncommutative Jauch–Piron–Amrein POV measure. Full article

We deduce a non-linear commutator higher-spin (HS) symmetry algebra which encodes unitary irreducible representations of the AdS group—subject to a Young tableaux $Y(s_1,\dots ,s_k)$ with $k\ge 2$ rows—in a d-dimensional anti-de Sitter space. Auxiliary representations for a deformed non-linear HS symmetry algebra in terms of a generalized Verma module, as applied to additively convert a subsystem of second-class constraints in the HS symmetry algebra into one with first-class constraints, are found explicitly in the case of a $k=2$ Young tableaux. An oscillator realization over the Heisenberg algebra for the Verma module is constructed. The results generalize the method of constructing auxiliary representations for the symplectic $sp\left(2k\right)$ algebra used for mixed-symmetry HS fields in flat spaces [Buchbinder, I.L.; et al. Nucl. Phys. B 2012, 862, 270–326]. Polynomial deformations of the $su(1,1)$ algebra related to the Bethe ansatz are studied as a byproduct. A nilpotent BRST operator for a non-linear HS symmetry algebra of the converted constraints for $Y(s_1,s_2)$ is found, with non-vanishing terms (resolving the Jacobi identities) of the third order in powers of ghost coordinates. A gauge-invariant unconstrained reducible Lagrangian formulation for a free bosonic HS field of generalized spin $(s_1,s_2)$ is deduced. Following the results of [Buchbinder, I.L.; et al. Phys. Lett. B 2021, 820, 136470.; Buchbinder, I.L.; et al. arXiv 2022, arXiv:2212.07097], we develop a BRST approach to constructing general off-shell local cubic interaction vertices for irreducible massive higher-spin fields (being candidates for massive particles in the Dark Matter problem). A new reducible gauge-invariant Lagrangian formulation for an antisymmetric massive tensor field of spin $(1,1)$ is obtained. Full article

Topological states of matter can be classified only in terms of global topological invariants. These global topological invariants are encoded in terms of global observable topological phase factors in the state vectors of electrons. In condensed matter, the energy spectrum of the Hamiltonian operator has a band structure, meaning that it is piecewise continuous. The energy in each continuous piece depends on the quasi-momentum which varies in the Brillouin zone. Thus, the Brillouin zone of quasi-momentum variables constitutes the base localization space of the energy eigenstates of electrons. This is a continuous topological parameter space bearing the homotopy of a torus. Since the base localization space has the homotopy of a torus, if we vary the quasi-momentum in a direction, when the edge of the zone is reached, we obtain a closed path. Then, if we lift this loop from the base space to the sections of the sheaf-theoretic fibration induced by the localization of the energy eigenfunctions, we obtain a global topological phase factor which encodes the topological structure of the Brillouin zone. Because it is homotopically equivalent to a torus, the global phase factor turns out to be quantized, taking integer values. The experimental significance of this model stems from the recent discovery that there are observable global topological phase factors in fairly ordinary materials. In this communication, we show that it is the unitary representation theory of the discrete Heisenberg group in terms of commutative modular symplectic variables, giving rise to a joint commutative representation space endowed with an integral and ${\mathbb{Z}}_2$-invariant symplectic form that articulates the specific form of the topological conditions characterizing both the quantum Hall effect and the spin quantum Hall effect under a unified sheaf-theoretic cohomological framework. Full article

The aim of this study was to shed light on the neural substrate of conceptual representations starting from the construct of higher-order convergence zones and trying to evaluate the unitary or non-unitary nature of this construct. We used the ‘Thematic and Taxonomic Semantic (TTS) task’ to investigate (a) the neural substrate of stimuli belonging to biological and artifact categories, (b) the format of stimuli presentation, i.e., verbal or pictorial, and (c) the relation between stimuli, i.e., categorial or contextual. We administered anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to different brain structures during the execution of the TTS task. Twenty healthy participants were enrolled and divided into two groups, one investigating the role of the anterior temporal lobes (ATL) and the other the temporo-parietal junctions (TPJ). Each participant underwent three sessions of stimulation to facilitate a control condition and to investigate the role of both hemispheres. Results showed that ATL stimulation influenced all conceptual representations in relation to the format of presentation (i.e., left-verbal and right-pictorial). Moreover, ATL stimulation modulated living categories and taxonomic relations specifically, whereas TPJ stimulation did not influence semantic task performances. Full article

We study a projective unitary representation of the product $\mathfrak{G}=\tilde{G}\times G$, where G is a locally compact Abelian group and $\widehat{G}$ is its dual consisting of characters on G. It is proven that the representation is irreducible, which allows us to define a covariant positive operator-valued measure (covariant POVM) generated by orbits of projective unitary representations of $\mathfrak{G}$. The quantum tomography associated with the representation is discussed. It is shown that the integration over such a covariant POVM defines a family of contractions which are multiples of unitary operators from the representation. Using this fact, it is proven that the measure is informationally complete. The obtained results are illustrated by optical tomography on groups and by a measure with a density that has a value in the set of coherent states. Full article

Finitely-additive measures invariant to the action of some groups on a separable infinitedimensional real Hilbert space are constructed. The invariantness of a measure is studied with respect to the group of shifts on a vector of Hilbert space, the orthogonal group and some groups of symplectomorphisms of the Hilbert space equipped with the shift-invariant symplectic form. A considered invariant measure is locally finite, σ finite, but it is not countably additive. The analog of the ergodic decomposition of invariant finitely additivemeasures with respect to some groups are obtained. The set of measures that are invariant with respect to a group is parametrized using the obtained decomposition. The paper describes the spaces of complex-valued functions which are quadratically integrable with respect to constructed invariant measures. This space is used to define the Koopman unitary representation of the group of transformations of the Hilbert space. To define the strong continuity subspaces of a Koopman group, we analyze the spectral properties of its generator. Full article

The superconducting order parameter (SOP) of a triplet superconductor UTe${}_2$ was constructed using the topological space group approach, in which, in contrast to phenomenological and topological approaches, the single pair function and phase winding in condensate are different quantities. The connection between them is investigated for the $D_{2h}$ point group and the $m^{\prime }{m}^{\prime }m$ magnetic group. It is shown how a non-unitary pair function of UTe${}_2$ can be constructed using one-dimensional real irreducible representations and Ginzburg–Landau phase winding. It is also shown that the total phase winding is non-zero in magnetic symmetry only. Experimental data on the superconducting order parameter of topological superconductors UPt${}_3$, Sr${}_2$RuO${}_4$, LaPt${}_3$P, and UTe${}_2$ are considered and peculiarities of their nodal structures are connected with the theoretical results of the topological space group approach. Full article

The de Sitter spacetime is a maximally symmetric spacetime. It is one of the vacuum solutions to Einstein equations with a cosmological constant. It is the solution with a positive cosmological constant and describes a universe undergoing accelerated expansion. Among the possible signs for a cosmological constant, this solution is relevant for primordial and late-time cosmology. In the case of a zero cosmological constant, studies on the representations of its isometry group have led to a broader understanding of particle physics. The isometry group of $d+1$-dimensional de Sitter is the group $SO(d+1,1)$, whose representations are well known. Given this insight, what can we learn about the elementary degrees of freedom in a four dimensional de Sitter universe by exploring how the unitary irreducible representations of $SO(4,1)$ present themselves in cosmological setups? This article aims to summarize recent advances along this line that benefit towards a broader understanding of quantum field theory and holography at different signs of the cosmological constant. Particular focus is given to the manifestation of $SO(4,1)$ representations at the late-time boundary of de Sitter. The discussion is concluded by pointing towards future questions at the late-time boundary and the static patch with a focus on the representations. Full article

Covariant integral quantizations are based on the resolution of the identity by continuous or discrete families of normalized positive operator valued measures (POVM), which have appealing probabilistic content and which transform in a covariant way. One of their advantages is their ability to circumvent problems due to the presence of singularities in the classical models. In this paper, we implement covariant integral quantizations for systems whose phase space is $\mathbb{Z}\times {\mathbb{S}}^1$, i.e., for systems moving on the circle. The symmetry group of this phase space is the discrete & compact version of the Weyl–Heisenberg group, namely the central extension of the abelian group $\mathbb{Z}\times \mathrm{SO}\left(2\right)$. In this regard, the phase space is viewed as the right coset of the group with its center. The non-trivial unitary irreducible representation of this group, as acting on $L^2\left({\mathbb{S}}^1\right)$, is square integrable on the phase space. We show how to derive corresponding covariant integral quantizations from (weight) functions on the phase space and resulting resolution of the identity. As particular cases of the latter we recover quantizations with de Bièvre-del Olmo–Gonzales and Kowalski–Rembielevski–Papaloucas coherent states on the circle. Another straightforward outcome of our approach is the Mukunda Wigner transform. We also look at the specific cases of coherent states built from shifted gaussians, Von Mises, Poisson, and Fejér kernels. Applications to stellar representations are in progress. Full article

This is a review paper on the generalization of Euclidean as well as pseudo-Euclidean groups of interest in quantum mechanics. The Weyl–Heisenberg groups, $H_n$, together with the Euclidean, $E_n$, and pseudo-Euclidean $E_{p,q}$, groups are two families of groups with a particular interest due to their applications in quantum physics. In the present manuscript, we show that, together, they give rise to a more general family of groups, $K_{p,q}$, that contain $H_{p,q}$ and $E_{p,q}$ as subgroups. It is noteworthy that properties such as self-similarity and invariance with respect to the orientation of the axes are properly included in the structure of $K_{p,q}$. We construct generalized Hermite functions on multidimensional spaces, which serve as orthogonal bases of Hilbert spaces supporting unitary irreducible representations of groups of the type $K_{p,q}$. By extending these Hilbert spaces, we obtain representations of $K_{p,q}$ on rigged Hilbert spaces (Gelfand triplets). We study the transformation laws of these generalized Hermite functions under Fourier transform. Full article