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Double Well in A Ring

1. A particle on a ring with a double well potential can tunnel between the two minima through quantum tunneling. Classically, there are two degenerate ground states but tunneling lifts this degeneracy. 2. Applying a perpendicular magnetic field introduces a topological term to the Lagrangian that does not affect classical mechanics but does influence the energy level separation. 3. The tunnel splitting calculation shows the splitting is a function of the magnetic flux. For an integer multiple of the quantum flux φ0, the splitting is quenched due to destructive interference between tunneling paths.

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78 views5 pages

Double Well in A Ring

1. A particle on a ring with a double well potential can tunnel between the two minima through quantum tunneling. Classically, there are two degenerate ground states but tunneling lifts this degeneracy. 2. Applying a perpendicular magnetic field introduces a topological term to the Lagrangian that does not affect classical mechanics but does influence the energy level separation. 3. The tunnel splitting calculation shows the splitting is a function of the magnetic flux. For an integer multiple of the quantum flux φ0, the splitting is quenched due to destructive interference between tunneling paths.

Uploaded by

Rahul
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Particle in a ring with a double well potential

Nivedita Bhadra
23-03-2015

Introduction
Today we will discuss about the motion of a particle on a ring[1].A symmetric double well is present
on the ring.Classically,this leads to two fold degeneracy of the ground state.Nevertheless,due to
the non local nature of quantum mechanics ,tunneling happens and the degeneracy is lifted.In
addition to this potential,a magnetic field B is imposed perpendicular to the plane of the loop
which give rise to total time derivative term in the Lagrangian.This term does not affect the
classical mechanics of the system.The separation of the level gets affected by the presence of the
magnetic field.It turns out the level separation is actually a function of the imposed magnetic
field. The total time derivative term is a topological term in the Lagrangian and the configuration
space is mutiply connected.We will use instanton method.

Double well and degeneracy


Let us consider a particle in a double well.Between the two wells there is a finite potential barrier.If
a particle is sitting in one of the well ,classicaly it is impossible for the particle to cross the barrier
and reach the other well.But quantum tunneling happens and as a result the particle is influenced
by the existence of the other minima.

Calculating the tunnel splitting


Let us consider the Lagrangian,
e
1
L(q, q)
= mq2 V (q) + A(q)q
2
c

q = (x, y)

(1)

The Lagrangian describes a particle on which a potential V (q) is imposed and it is moving on
the xy plane in the presence of a magnetic field B pointing along z axis.Hence,B(q) = Bez =
A(q) and A(q) = (r)e .Particle is constrained to move on a circle about the origin defined
by ,G(x, y) = x2 + y 2 R2 = 0;hence ,the Lagrangian becomes,
= 1 mR2 2 V () + A(R)
L(, )
2

(2)

The action functional is given by,


Z

t2

L(, )dt

(3)

= A(R){(t2 ) (t1 )}
A(R)dt

(4)

S[(t)] =
t1

The third term is important,


Z

t2

[(t)] =
t1

This term does not contribute to the classical equation of motion.


The potential
V ( + ) = V (),

V () = V ()

(5)

The equation of motion becomes,


mR2

d
dV
=
2
dt
d

(6)

We would find the following propagator,


/
iHT
h

hb |e

|b i =
a

i
D exp( S[(t)])
h

(7)

which in Euclidean form becomes,


Z

(b )

D exp (

K(b , b ; a , a ) =
(a )

Se [( )]
)
h

(8)

where,
Z

d {

Se [( )] =
a

mR2 d 2
( ) W ()}
2 d

(9)

The Euclidean energy is ,


Ee = mR2 (d/d )2 W ()

(10)

We will do the semiclassical approximation to get the propagator.Euclidean equation of motion


becomes,
mR2

dW
d2
=
2
dt
d

(11)

As discussed earlier ,the zero energy solution would be,


p
d
= 2V ()/mR2
d

(12)

There is a topological difference between the double well potential on the ring and the real line.The
sets of path plays an important role in tunnel splitting.In this problem in a ring we have to find
the following four propagator,
Ke ( , T /2; , T /2), Ke ( , T /2; , T /2)

(13)

with magnetic field B.

Calculation of tunnel splitting


here we will compute the splitting for particle in a ring with double weel when 1. no magnetic
field is present 2. nonzero magnetic field is present. The calculation of the tunnel splitting E as
a function of magnetic field.

Vanishing magnetic field


We would find the propagator,Ke (+ , T /2; , T /2).From graph we can easily see that number
of possible path of a given length is 2N .If the particle is at one of the maxima ,there are two
ways to reach other maxima.To evaluate Ke (+ , T /2; , T /2) let us find the behaviour of the
paths ( ) in around the quasistationary path N
( ).Let us write,
( ) N
( ) + ( )

(14)

where we know ( ) = 0 at = T /2.Expanding the potential about the quasistationary paths


we obtainthe potential of the form,
W [( )] W [N
]+

1 d2 W N 2
( ) ()
2 d2

(15)

The contribution of the path is given by,


exp{Se (N
h}
)/

(T /2)=0

D exp{Se [( )]/
h}

(16)

(T /2)=0

Now upto some exponential errow we can take the approximation,


0
Se (N
e ) N Se

(17)

E E1 E0 = 2(2)T exp(Se0 /h)

(18)

The tunnel splitting comes out to be,

Nonzero magnetic field


In the presence of a uniform magnetic field B pointing along z axis the Euclidean action is modified
by the Euclidean version of the field term,
Se [( )] = Se [( )] i[( )]
Z b

A(R)d
= Se [( )] i

(19)

A path ( ) of length N contributes,


exp{Se (N
h}
)/

(t/2)=0

D exp{Se [( )]/
h}

T /2

d [( )]
T /2

(t/2)=0

(T /2)

dA(R) = 0

(20)

(t/2)

Hence,we may write,


N
0
N
N
SeA (N
) Se ( ) i( ) N Se i0 ( )

(21)

where 0 = A(R)d is the contribution of an onstanton travelling directly from to + ,arising


from the field term.In the field term and type instanton has contribution of equal magnitude
but of opposite sign
Z
Z /2
dA(R) =
dA(R)

/2

3/2

= A(R) =
/2
Z
= dA(R)

dA(R)
(22)

Hence,the value of is +1 for a single type instanton and 1 for type.


the contribution of paths with length N has the following structure.
r
m T /2N Se0 /h X i0 (N )/h
A
N

e
e
KN (+ , T /2; , T /2)
h
N

(23)

2 paths

let us divide the sum into two parts.


paths starting with an instanton
path starting with a instanton.
X

ei0 /h

2N paths

ei0 /h +

ei0 /h

(24)

2N 1 paths

2N 1 paths

For arbitrary N ,one finds that


X

ei0 ( ) = (ei0 /h + ei0 /h )N 1

2N 1 loops

= [2 cos(0 /h)]N 1

(25)

Hence, the final expression becomes,


r
Z
m T /2 X
A
Ke (+ , T /2; , T /2)
e
d [2 cos(0 /h)]N exp(N Se0 /h)
h
oddN
r
m T /2
e
sinh{2T cos(0 /h) exp(Se0 /
=
h)}
h

(26)

Hence the tunneling splitting is given by,


E E1 E0 = 2(2) cos(


) exp(Se0 /h)
2 0

(27)

Where,the magnetic flux = BR2 through the ring and 0 = hc/2e is the zero flux.Hence the
tunneling is quenched when the flux is introduced in an odd integer multiple of 0 .The flux can
be made odd integer by changing either B or the radius of the circle.

Summary
1. For a particle one a ring with double well potential has two distinct way to tunnel from
one minima to other,whereas on a line this reduces by a factor of two.Number of path is
removed when the ring is disconnected to create a line.
2. Applying B on top of it would not bring up any interference term.Hence,no oscillatory factor
in the splitting expression for a particle on a ring.

References
[1] Stefan Weigert Topological quenching of the tunnel splitting for a particle in a double-well
potential on a planar loop
[2] B.Felsager Geometry,Particles,and Fields

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