Real Spectra in Non-Hermitian Hamiltonians Having PT Symmetry

Abstract

The condition of self-adjointness ensures that the eigenvalues of a Hamiltonian are real and bounded below. Replacing this condition by the weaker condition of ${\cal PT}$ symmetry, one obtains new infinite classes of complex Hamiltonians whose spectra are also real and positive. These ${\cal PT}$ symmetric theories may be viewed as analytic continuations of conventional theories from real to complex phase space. This paper describes the unusual classical and quantum properties of these theories.