Remarks on quantization of Pais-Uhlenbeck oscillators

A generalized canonical form of action of dynamic theories with higher derivatives is proposed, which does not require the introduction of additional dynamic variables. This form is the initial point for the construction of quantum theory, in which the state of motion of the system is described by the wave functional on its trajectories in the configuration space, and the functional itself is an eigenvector of the action operator. The Pais-Uhlenbeck oscillator is considered a...

Using the Pais-Uhlenbeck Oscillator as a toy model, we outline a consistent alternative to the indefinite-metric quantization scheme that does not violate unitarity. We describe the basic mathematical structure of this method by giving an explicit construction of the Hilbert space of state vectors and the corresponding creation and annihilation operators. The latter satisfy the usual bosonic commutation relation and differ from those of the indefinite-metric theories by a sig...

We have constructed coherent states for the higher derivative Pais-Uhlenbeck Oscillator. In the process we have suggested a novel way to construct coherent states for the oscillator having only negative energy levels. These coherent states have negative energies in general but their coordinate and momentum expectation values and dispersions behave in an identical manner as that of normal (positive energy) oscillator. The coherent states for the Pais-Uhlenbeck Oscillator have ...

A {\em complex} canonical transformation is found that takes the fourth order derivative Pais-Uhlenbeck oscillator into two independent harmonic oscillators thus showing that this model has energy bounded from below, unitary time-evolution and no negative norm states, or ghosts. Such transformation yields a positive definite inner product consistent with reality conditions in the Hilbert space. The method is illustrated by eliminating the negative norm states in a complex osc...

We analyze the quantization of the Pais-Uhlenbeck fourth order oscillator within the framework of deformation quantization. Our approach exploit the Noether symmetries of the system by proposing integrals of motion as the variables to obtain a solution to the -genvalue equation, namely the Wigner function. We also obtain, by means of a quantum canonical transformation the wave function associated to the Schr\"odinger equation of the system. We show that unitary evolution of t...

We provide a new formulation of the Pais-Uhlenbeck oscillator which is a prototype of a higher derivative model. Different parametrisations that reveal the model as a combination of two simple harmonic oscillators are introduced. Conventional results are reproduced in one realisation. In another, all problems related to lack of unitarity or boundedness of energy are eliminated since the hamiltonian is expressed as a sum of the hamiltonians of two decoupled harmonic oscillator...

We extend, to the quantum domain, the results obtained in [Nucl. Phys. B 885 (2014) 150] and [Phys. Lett. B 738 (2014) 405] concerning the Niederer's transformation for the Pais-Uhlenbeck oscillator. Namely, the quantum counterpart (an unitary operator) of the transformation which maps the free higher derivatives theory into the Pais-Uhlenbeck oscillator is constructed. Some consequences of this transformation are discussed.

By adding an imaginary interacting term proportional to ip_1p_2 to the Hamiltonian of a free anisotropic planar oscillator, we construct a new model which is described by the PT-pseudo-Hermitian Hamiltonian with the permutation symmetry of two dimensions. We prove that our model is equivalent to the Pais-Uhlenbeck oscillator and thus establish a relationship between our PT-pseudo-Hermitian system and the fourth-order derivative oscillator model. We also point out the spontane...

We explore the Jacobi Last Multiplier as a means for deriving the Lagrangian of a fourth-order differential equation. In particular we consider the classical problem of the Pais-Uhlenbeck oscillator and write down the accompanying Hamiltonian. We then compare such an expression with an alternative derivation of the Hamiltonian that makes use of the Ostrogradski's method and show that a mapping from the one to the other is achievable by variable transformations. Assuming canon...

We review the occurrence of negative energies in Pais-Uhlenbeck oscillator. We point out that in the absence of interactions negative energies are not problematic, neither in the classical nor in the quantized theory. However, in the presence of interactions that couple positive and negative energy degrees of freedom the system is unstable, unless the potential is bounded from bellow and above. We review some approaches in the literature that attempt to avoid the problem of n...