Adjacency Graphs and Long-Range Interactions of Atoms in Quasi-Degenerate States: Applied Graph Theory
Abstract
We analyze, in general terms, the evolution of energy levels in quantum mechanics, as a function of a coupling parameter, and demonstrate the possibility of level crossings in systems described by irreducible matrices. In long-range interactions, the coupling parameter is the interatomic distance. We demonstrate the utility of adjacency matrices and adjacency graphs in the analysis of "hidden" symmetries of a problem; these allow us to break reducible matrices into irreducible subcomponents. A possible breakdown of the no-crossing theorem for higherdimensional irreducible matrices is indicated, and an application to the 2S-2S interaction in hydrogen is briefly described. The analysis of interatomic interactions in this system is important for further progress on optical measurements of the 2S hyperfine splitting.
Recommended Citation
C. M. Adhikari et al., "Adjacency Graphs and Long-Range Interactions of Atoms in Quasi-Degenerate States: Applied Graph Theory," Exploring the World with the Laser: Dedicated to Theodor Hansch on his 75th Birthday, pp. 159 - 174, Springer International Publishing, Jan 2018.
The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-64346-5_11
Department(s)
Physics
International Standard Book Number (ISBN)
978-331964346-5; 978-331964345-8
Document Type
Book - Chapter
Document Version
Citation
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2018 Springer International Publishing, All rights reserved.
Publication Date
01 Jan 2018
Comments
The authors acknowledge support from the National Science Foundation (Grant PHY-1403973).