Self-Consistent Effective Action for Quantum Particle with Space-Dependent Mass

Abstract

We calculate the quantum corrections to the classical action of a particle with coordinate-dependent mass. The result is made self-consistent by a variational approach, thus making it applicable to strong-couplings and singular potentials. By including thermal fluctuations, the we obtain an effective action whose classical Euler-Lagrange equation describes the motion of a particle including quantum and thermal effects.