Complex Correspondence Principle

Carl Bender
Physics Department
Washington University
in collaboration with

Daniel Hook
Theoretical Physics
Imperial College
Extending quantum mechanics
into the complex domain

This Hamiltonian is PT symmetric

Region of broken Region of unbroken
PT phase
PT symmetry transition PT symmetry
 The PT phase transition has
now been seen experimentally!
 Laboratory verification using
table-top optics experiments!
Observing PT symmetry using optical wave guides:
• Z. Musslimani, K. Makris, R. El-Ganainy, and D.
Christodoulides, PRL 100, 030402 (2008)
• K. Makris, R. El-Ganainy, D. Christodoulides, and Z.
Musslimani, PRL 100, 103904 (2008)
• A. Guo, G. J. Salamo, D. Duchesne, R. Morandotti, M.
Volatier-Ravat, V. Aimez, G. A. Siviloglou, and D. N.
Christodoulides, Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 093902 (2009)
The observed PT phase transition
 People at this meeting who have
worked on PT quantum mechanics
Thrust Cigar Moth
Recalled Iran
Hah! Minum Nipple
Accuse Zinc Mule
Bill to Milkman
Mat Off John
Mafia Had Zealts
Nag Jck
Jars Nth Loon
Jag Verse
Shh! Ask Veg
Gnaw Knish
(with apologies!)
 People at this meeting who have
worked on PT quantum mechanics
Thomas Curtright
Andre LeClair
Philip Mannheim
Luca Mezincescu
Kimball Milton
John Moffat
Ali Mostafazadeh
Jack Ng
John Ralston
S G Rajeev
K V Shajesh
Kwang Shin
(with apologies!)
PT. There is
a network
that ties us
together.
Extending classical mechanics
into the complex domain...
Find all solutions, real
or complex, to
Hamilton’s equations:
 Motion on the real axis

Motion of particles is governed by Newton’s Law:

F=ma
In freshman physics this motion is restricted to the
REAL AXIS.
 Harmonic oscillator:
Particle on a spring

Back and forth motion

on the real axis:

Turning point Turning point

 Harmonic oscillator:

Motion in the
complex plane:

Turning point Turning point

 The classical particle can enter
the classically forbidden region!
But its motion is orthogonal to the real axis!

This is like total internal reflection:

Glass Vacuum
 2
H  p  ix 3
( = 1)
 2
H = p - (ix) (11 sheets)
Conventional correspondence principle

Classical probability
(1/speed)

Quantum probability
16 th Eigenstate
Complex classical harmonic
oscillator
Classical probability in the
complex plane
Pup Tent
Complex quantum probability

Potential is PT symmetric means

Local conservation law:

Probability contour
 Example: complex PT-
symmetric random walk

With a complex unfair coin!

P(heads) = -ia + ½
P(tails) = ia + ½
Condition I
Ground state of harmonic oscillator

This equation looks easy, but it is

impossible to solve exactly!
 Toy model

Leading asymptotic behavior:

Full asymptotic behavior:

Where is the arbitrary constant?!?

Difference of two solutions

The arbitrary constant is in the hyperasymptotic

contribution to the asymptotic approximation!
Quantized
bundle

Separatrix
Paths in the complex plane
Bad Stokes’ wedge

Good Stokes’
wedge
 Conditions II and III:
Real part of the probability

CONVERGENT!!!
Going into and out of the bad
Stokes’ wedge
Probability contours in the
complex plane
More interesting contours...
First excited state – one node
Second excited state – two nodes
This is the quantum version
of the pup tent!!
(with ripples on the canopy)
These people are
amazed that
classical mechanics
and quantum
mechanics can be
extended into the
complex plane,
and that the
correspondence
principle continues
to hold!