Noncommutative Dirac oscillator

B.Roy. and P.Roy Physics & Applied Mathematics Unit Indian Statistical Institute Calcutta 700035 India January 4, 2005

Abstract We study the Dirac oscillator problem on the noncommutative plane. In particular we obtain the exact spectrum and some features of the spectrum are discussed.

E-mail E-mail

: barnana@isical.ac.in : pinaki@isical.ac.in

It is now well known that noncommutative geometry plays an important role in string theory as well as M-theory [1]. Since in certain limiting situations string theory reduces to gauge theory on noncommutative space, noncommutative quantum eld theory has been studied by many authors. However, the eect of noncommutativity can best be studied within the relatively simpler framework of quantum mechanics. In recent years quantum mechanical models in noncommutative space has been examined intensively [2]. Among the various noncommutative quantum mechanical systems that have been studied are the central eld problems [3], harmonic oscillator [4], models with magnetic elds [5], Aharonov-Bohm system [6], Aharonov-Casher system [7] etc. On the other hand Dirac oscillator [8] is one of the very few problems for which the Dirac equation is exactly solvable and over the years the Dirac oscillator problem in commutative space has been studied by many authors from various view points [9]. Here our objective is to study the Dirac oscillator problem on the noncommutative plane. In particular it will be shown that the problem remains exactly solvable on the noncommutative plane and the exact spectrum depending on the noncommutativity parameter will be obtained. It will be shown that the spectrum corresponding to the spin up and spin down components depends dierently on the parameter . Also for suciently strong oscillator interaction (for > 0, > c , c being the crtical value) the energy of the spin down states gets reduced and at some limit may indicate instability. We shall also examine the eect of the parameter on the Zitterbewegung phenomena. To begin with we note that the noncommuting coordinates (i ) satisfy the following commutation x relations: [i , xj ] = x
ij

(1)

Also the relation between the noncommuting coordinates (i ) and the commuting coordinates (xi ) are x given by [10] 1 xi = xi 2
ij pj

(2)

Next we consider the Dirac oscillator on the noncommutative plane. The Hamiltonian of the noncommutative Dirac oscillator is given by H = [.(p im) + m] r where the gamma matrices are given by [11] 1 = x , 2 = sy , = z (4) (3)

and s = 1 corresponds to spin up and spin down. Taking into account the relations (1) the Hamiltonian 2

(3) can be written in terms of the commuting coordinates as H = H1 + H2 + m where H1,2 are given by 1 1 H1 = x px msxy + my py , H2 = s(y py + myx + mx px ) 2 2 In this case the eigenvalue equation reads H where 1 A = (s px imx) + is(s py imy) , s = (1 + sm) 2 (8) 1 2 = m A A m 1 2 =E 1 2 (7) (6) (5)

To decouple the components and also to determine the underlying symmetry we square equation (7) and obtain H2 1 2 = A A + m2 0 0 AA + m2 1 2 = E2 1 2 (9)

Equation (9) is reminiscent of supersymmetry. To obtain the supersymmetry algebra we consider the two supercharges Q and Q dened as follows: Q= Then it follows that {Q, Q } = (H 2 m2 ) , [Q, H 2 ] = [Q , H 2 ] = 0 (11) 0 A 0 0 , Q = 0 0 A 0 (10)

Thus Q, Q and H 2 form a supersymmetry algebra and the two components 1 and 2 are not independent but are related to each other by supersymmetry transformation. More precisely A A1 = (E 2 m2 )1 , AA 2 = (E 2 m2 )2 so that A 2 and A1 are eigenfunctions of A A and AA respectively. To obtain the spectrum let us now write the rst equation of (12) in the form p2 + p2 (xpy ypx ) + 2 (x2 + y 2 ) 1 = 1 x y where = m 2ms , = , s s = E 2 m2 + 2ms 2 s (14) (13) (12)

Equation (13) is a standard harmonic oscillator equation with an additional angular momentum like term and the corresponding spectrum can readily be obtained as
2 Es,n,M = m2 + 2ms (|M | sM + 2nr ) ,

nr M

= 0, 1, 2, ...., = 0, 1, 2, ...,

(15)

Thus for sM > 0, the spectrum is innitely degenerate while for sM < 0 there is no degeneracy. Next to determine the spectrum corresponding to 2 we note that A1 is an eigenfunction of AA and obtain from the second equation of (12)
2 Es,n,M = m2 + 2ms (|M + 1| + sM + 2nr + 1) ,

nr M

= 0, 1, 2, ...., = 0, 1, 2, ...,

(16)

From (15) and (16) it is seen that the eigenvalues depend on both the spin s and the noncommutativity parameter , although the dependence on itself depends on spin. In other words there is a coupling between the noncommutative parameter and the spin s. This is also evident from the fact that for s = 1, s = = (1 1 m), so that there exists a critical oscillator interaction such that s = 0. Let 2 us now consider the case s = 1 and > 0 such that s < 0. Then it follows from (16) that the energy 2 gets reduced and for suciently strong oscillator coupling >> c = the energy becomes imaginary. m This may indicate some type of instability. To examine other possible eects of the noncommutativity parameter , let us now compute the dA A 1 Zitterbewegung. Using the relation = + [A, H], it can be shown that dt t i
s s vx (t) = H 1 (2 px + s my) + e2iHt [vx (0) H 1 (2 px + s my)] s s s where vx =

(17)

1 [x, H]. From (17) we nd that Zitterbewegung does take place and the oscillatory motion i has a dependence through s . Also as in the case of the eigenvalues, the oscillatory motion is dierent for spin up and spin down states. In conclusion we have examined the Dirac oscillator problem on the non commutative plane and analysed some features of the resulting spectrum. The Zitterbewegung phenomena has also been studied.

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