PT-Symmetric Quantum Field Theory in Path Integral Formalism and Arbitrariness Problem

Abstract

Perturbative PT-symmetric quantum field theories with anti-Hermitian and P-odd interaction terms are studied in path integral formalism and the i phi^3 model is calculated in detail. The nonlocal field transformation induced by the C operator and corresponding transformations to Hermitian theories are given systematically, which are manifestly 4-dimensional invariant. It is found that the i phi^3 model can be transformed into infinitely many physically inequivalent Hermitian theories with different S matrices under above nonlocal transformations. Similar problem caused by nonlocal tranformations in Hermitian quantum field theories is also discussed. 0-dimensional models are studied numerically to verify the validity of those transformations. We put forward the question of physical meaning of PT-symmetric quantum field theory based on the arbitrariness caused by the seemingly inevitable nonlocality.