Eva-Maria Graefe (Imperial College London (ICL), The UK) | Husimi Dynamics Generated by Non-Hermitian Hamiltonians |

Abstract:

While traditional quantum mechanics focusses on systems conserving energy and probability, described by Hermitian Hamiltonians, in recent years there has been ever growing interest in the use of non-Hermitian Hamiltonians. These can effectively describe loss and gain in a quantum system. In particular systems with a certain balance of loss and gain, so-called PT-symmetric systems, have attracted considerable attention. The realisation of PT-symmetric quantum dynamics in optical systems has opened up a whole new field of investigations. 

The dynamics generated by non-Hermitian Hamiltonians are often less intuitive than those of conventional Hermitian systems. Even for models as simple as a complexified harmonic oscillator, the dynamics beyond coherent states shows surprising features. Here we analyse the flow of the Husimi phase-space distribution in a semiclassical limit, leading to a first order partial differential equation, that helps illuminate the foundations of the full quantum evolution. We discuss instructive examples, demonstrating how the full quantum dynamics unfolds on top of the classical Husimi flow.

Recording

Slides

When: November 2, 2022 2:00 PM (Israel Standard Time).

Where: Over Zoom