Entropy and Temperature of a Quantum Carnot Engine

It is possible to extract work from a quantum-mechanical system whose dynamics is governed by a time-dependent cyclic Hamiltonian. An energy bath is required to operate such a quantum engine in place of the heat bath used to run a conventional classical thermodynamic heat engine. The effect of the energy bath is to maintain the expectation value of the system Hamiltonian during an isoenergetic expansion. It is shown that the existence of such a bath leads to equilibrium quantum states that maximise the von Neumann entropy. Quantum analogues of certain thermodynamic relations are obtained that allow one to define the temperature of the energy bath.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figur

Entangled Quantum State Discrimination using Pseudo-Hermitian System

We demonstrate how to discriminate two non-orthogonal, entangled quantum state which are slightly different from each other by using pseudo-Hermitian system. The positive definite metric operator which makes the pseudo-Hermitian systems fully consistent quantum theory is used for such a state discrimination. We further show that non-orthogonal states can evolve through a suitably constructed pseudo-Hermitian Hamiltonian to orthogonal states. Such evolution ceases at exceptional points of the pseudo-Hermitian system.Comment: Latex, 9 pages, 1 figur

PT-symmetry breaking in complex nonlinear wave equations and their deformations

We investigate complex versions of the Korteweg-deVries equations and an Ito type nonlinear system with two coupled nonlinear fields. We systematically construct rational, trigonometric/hyperbolic, elliptic and soliton solutions for these models and focus in particular on physically feasible systems, that is those with real energies. The reality of the energy is usually attributed to different realisations of an antilinear symmetry, as for instance PT-symmetry. It is shown that the symmetry can be spontaneously broken in two alternative ways either by specific choices of the domain or by manipulating the parameters in the solutions of the model, thus leading to complex energies. Surprisingly the reality of the energies can be regained in some cases by a further breaking of the symmetry on the level of the Hamiltonian. In many examples some of the fixed points in the complex solution for the field undergo a Hopf bifurcation in the PT-symmetry breaking process. By employing several different variants of the symmetries we propose many classes of new invariant extensions of these models and study their properties. The reduction of some of these models yields complex quantum mechanical models previously studied.Comment: 50 pages, 39 figures (compressed in order to comply with arXiv policy; higher resolutions maybe obtained from the authors upon request

Does the complex deformation of the Riemann equation exhibit shocks?

The Riemann equation $u_t+uu_x=0$, which describes a one-dimensional accelerationless perfect fluid, possesses solutions that typically develop shocks in a finite time. This equation is \cP\cT symmetric. A one-parameter \cP\cT-invariant complex deformation of this equation, $u_t-iu(iu_x)^\epsilon= 0$ ($\epsilon$ real), is solved exactly using the method of characteristic strips, and it is shown that for real initial conditions, shocks cannot develop unless $\epsilon$ is an odd integer.Comment: latex, 8 page

Competing PT potentials and re-entrant PT symmetric phase for a particle in a box

We investigate the effects of competition between two complex, $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric potentials on the $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric phase of a "particle in a box". These potentials, given by $V_Z(x)=iZ\mathrm{sign}(x)$ and $V_\xi(x)=i\xi[\delta(x-a)-\delta(x+a)]$, represent long-range and localized gain/loss regions respectively. We obtain the $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric phase in the $(Z,\xi)$ plane, and find that for locations $\pm a$ near the edge of the box, the $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric phase is strengthened by additional losses to the loss region. We also predict that a broken $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetry will be restored by increasing the strength $\xi$ of the localized potential. By comparing the results for this problem and its lattice counterpart, we show that a robust $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric phase in the continuum is consistent with the fragile phase on the lattice. Our results demonstrate that systems with multiple, $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric potentials show unique, unexpected properties.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figure

On the eigenproblems of PT-symmetric oscillators

We consider the non-Hermitian Hamiltonian H= -\frac{d^2}{dx^2}+P(x^2)-(ix)^{2n+1} on the real line, where P(x) is a polynomial of degree at most n \geq 1 with all nonnegative real coefficients (possibly P\equiv 0). It is proved that the eigenvalues \lambda must be in the sector | arg \lambda | \leq \frac{\pi}{2n+3}. Also for the case H=-\frac{d^2}{dx^2}-(ix)^3, we establish a zero-free region of the eigenfunction u and its derivative u^\prime and we find some other interesting properties of eigenfunctions.Comment: 21pages, 9 figure

Letter, to Louis J. Krueger, Gerald Tomanek, Warren Corman and Edmund G. Ahrens, from Roger D. Bender and William B. Livingston, March 28, 1977

Letter from Architects 3+2 stating their qualification to perform work on the new proposed building.https://scholars.fhsu.edu/rarick/1020/thumbnail.jp

Chaotic systems in complex phase space

This paper examines numerically the complex classical trajectories of the kicked rotor and the double pendulum. Both of these systems exhibit a transition to chaos, and this feature is studied in complex phase space. Additionally, it is shown that the short-time and long-time behaviors of these two PT-symmetric dynamical models in complex phase space exhibit strong qualitative similarities.Comment: 22 page, 16 figure