Computation and Verification of Spectra for Non-Hermitian Systems
We establish a connection between quantum mechanics and computation, revealing fundamental limitations for algorithms computing spectra, especially in non-Hermitian settings. Introducing the concept of locally trivial pseudospectra, we show such assumptions are necessary for spectral computation. Locally trivial pseudospectra adapt dynamically to system energies, enabling spectral analysis across a broad class of challenging non-Hermitian problems. Exploiting this framework, we overcome a longstanding obstacle by computing the eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of the imaginary cubic oscillator H_{B}=p^{2}+ix^{3} with error bounds and no spurious modes-yielding, to our knowledge, the first such error-controlled result. We confirm, for instance, the 100th eigenvalue as 627.6947122484365113526737029011536…. Here, truncation-induced PT-symmetry breaking causes spurious eigenvalues-a pitfall our method avoids, highlighting the link between truncation and physics. Finally, we illustrate the approach's generality via spectral computations for a range of physically relevant operators. This Letter provides a rigorous framework linking computational theory to quantum mechanics and offers a precise tool for spectral calculations with error bounds.
Authors
- Michael T. M. Woodley (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4581-1643)
- Matthew J. Colbrook (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4964-9575)
- Catherine Drysdale (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-0077-0309)
Institutions
- University of Cambridge (GB)
- University of Bath (GB)
- Lancaster University (GB)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Physical Review Letters
- Published
- 2025-09-29
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1103/hf8s-v93b
- Primary Topic
- Quantum Mechanics and Non-Hermitian Physics
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00