Using Vicks Theorem to Calculate Average of Bose Operators

In summary, Vick's theorem allows us to find the average value of the product of an even number of operators. This is useful in cases such as the four Bose operators, where the theorem can be applied to simplify the calculation. In some cases, such as lasers and superfluids, the double creation and double destruction terms are important and cannot be neglected. However, in the mean field theory, these terms can be averaged and thus become zero, making the calculation simpler.
  • #1
Petar Mali
290
0
Vick's theorem help us to find average value of product of even number of operators. For example look the case of four Bose operators

[tex]\langle \hat{b}_1\hat{b}_2\hat{b}_3\hat{b}_4 \rangle =\langle \hat{b}_1\hat{b}_2 \rangle \langle\hat{b}_3\hat{b}_4 \rangle +\langle \hat{b}_1\hat{b}_3 \rangle \langle\hat{b}_2\hat{b}_4 \rangle +\langle \hat{b}_1\hat{b}_4 \rangle \langle\hat{b}_2\hat{b}_3 \rangle [/tex]

In some cases when we have just product of four Bose operators we use decoupling

[tex]\hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_i\hat{b}^+_j\hat{b}_j=\langle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_i \rangle \hat{b}^+_j\hat{b}_j+\langle \hat{b}^+_j\hat{b}_j \rangle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_i+\langle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_j \rangle \hat{b}^+_j\hat{b}_i+\langle \hat{b}^+_j\hat{b}_i \rangle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_j[/tex]

Why not

[tex]\hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_i\hat{b}^+_j\hat{b}_j=\langle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_i \rangle \hat{b}^+_j\hat{b}_j+\langle \hat{b}^+_j\hat{b}_j \rangle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_i+\langle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}^+_j \rangle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_j+\langle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_j \rangle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}^+_j +\langle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_j \rangle \hat{b}^+_j\hat{b}_i+\langle \hat{b}^+_j\hat{b}_i \rangle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_j[/tex]?

similarly

[tex]\hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_i\hat{b}_j=\langle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_i \rangle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_j+\langle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_i \rangle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_j+\langle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_j \rangle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_i+\langle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_j \rangle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_i[/tex]

and no

[tex]\hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_i\hat{b}_j=\langle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_i \rangle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_j+\langle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_i \rangle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_j+\langle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_j \rangle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_i+\langle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_j \rangle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_i+\langle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}^+_i \rangle \hat{b}_i\hat{b}_j+\langle \hat{b}_i\hat{b}_j \rangle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}^+_i [/tex]

Thanks for your answer!
 
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  • #2
The correlator [tex]\left\langle b^\dag b^\dag\right\rangle[/tex] is effectively the overlap between a state with N bosons and a state with N+2 bosons. This is because the operator [tex]b^\dag[/tex] creates a boson on top of the state.

The overlap between two wavefunctions with different particle numbers is zero. Hence, these terms are omitted in Wick's expansion. Technically, you are correct that you should sum over all possible contractions -- it's just that the omitted contractions are simply zero.

The combination [tex]\left\langle b_i^\dag b_j\right\rangle[/tex] removes a boson from the j'th state, and creates one in the i'th state. The particle number before and after this process is the same, so the overlap is usually non-zero.
 
  • #3
You can't neglect this terms in general, neither for Bosons nor for fermions. They are important in lasers, superfluids etc.
 
  • #4
This is some self consistent spin wave theory. You know something about this approximation?
 
  • #5
@ DrDu
You can't neglect this terms in general, neither for Bosons nor for fermions. They are important in lasers, superfluids etc.

For example if I have antiferromagnet and need to decoupling

[tex]\hat{b}_j^+\hat{a}_i^+\hat{a}_i^+\hat{a}_i[/tex]?

where j represent sublattice B, and i represent sublattice A

where

[tex][\hat{a}_i,\hat{a}_j]=[\hat{b}_i,\hat{b}_j]=[\hat{a}^+_i,\hat{a}^+_j]=[\hat{b}^+_i,\hat{b}^+_j]=[\hat{a}^+_i,\hat{b}_j]=[\hat{a}_i,\hat{b}^+_j]=[\hat{a}^+_i,\hat{b}^+_j]=[\hat{a}_i,\hat{b}_j]=0[/tex]
 
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  • #6
I am sorry, I am not too familiar with this problem.
 
  • #7
Petar Mali said:
@ DrDu
You can't neglect this terms in general, neither for Bosons nor for fermions. They are important in lasers, superfluids etc.

The General means the ground states which excludes the condensed systems. In General, these double creation and double destruction terms are not considered.

These terms should be calculated when the system in a new equilibrium state in the dissipative structure, such as Lasers, Super-fluids or Superconductor, etc. In these states, the system is condensed.

PS:
In the cases, double creation (destruction) terms means a positive feedback process in the non-equilibrium statistics.
 
  • #8
Petar, maybe you could enlighten us how exactly the boson operators appear in the problem of an anti-ferromagnet, which is primarily about spins, not bosons. There are schemes for bosonization, however, you could explain which one you are using.
 
  • #9
Approximation is not so important. I decoupling product of for Bose operators. My question

[tex]\langle \hat{A} \rangle =\sum_n\langle n|\hat{A}e^{-\beta\hat{H}}|n\rangle[/tex]

Can for example

[tex]\langle \hat{a}^+_i\hat{b}^+_j\rangle \neq 0[/tex] ,[tex]\langle \hat{a}_i\hat{b}_j\rangle \neq 0[/tex], [tex]\langle \hat{a}^+_i\hat{b}_j\rangle \neq 0[/tex]...

in any case?
 
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  • #11
Petar Mali said:
In some cases when we have just product of four Bose operators we use decoupling

[tex]\hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_i\hat{b}^+_j\hat{b}_j=\langle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_i \rangle \hat{b}^+_j\hat{b}_j+\langle \hat{b}^+_j\hat{b}_j \rangle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_i+\langle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_j \rangle \hat{b}^+_j\hat{b}_i+\langle \hat{b}^+_j\hat{b}_i \rangle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_j[/tex]

Why not

[tex]\hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_i\hat{b}^+_j\hat{b}_j=\langle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_i \rangle \hat{b}^+_j\hat{b}_j+\langle \hat{b}^+_j\hat{b}_j \rangle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_i+\langle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}^+_j \rangle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_j+\langle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_j \rangle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}^+_j +\langle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_j \rangle \hat{b}^+_j\hat{b}_i+\langle \hat{b}^+_j\hat{b}_i \rangle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_j[/tex]?

similarly

[tex]\hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_i\hat{b}_j=\langle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_i \rangle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_j+\langle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_i \rangle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_j+\langle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_j \rangle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_i+\langle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_j \rangle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_i[/tex]

and no

[tex]\hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_i\hat{b}_j=\langle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_i \rangle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_j+\langle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_i \rangle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_j+\langle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_j \rangle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_i+\langle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_j \rangle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}_i+\langle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}^+_i \rangle \hat{b}_i\hat{b}_j+\langle \hat{b}_i\hat{b}_j \rangle \hat{b}^+_i\hat{b}^+_i [/tex]

Thanks for your answer!


This is a method of mean field theory.

In Hartree-Fock approximation, there is only <a+a>, but no <a+a+> or <aa>. because the latter is zero.

But, for some condensed system, such as Lasers and Superconductors, the double creation and double destruction process is important. In the mean field theory, one can also average the operators, just like <a+a+> and <aa>. In that time, they are not zero.
 
  • #12
shawl said:
This is a method of mean field theory.

In Hartree-Fock approximation, there is only <a+a>, but no <a+a+> or <aa>. because the latter is zero.

But, for some condensed system, such as Lasers and Superconductors, the double creation and double destruction process is important. In the mean field theory, one can also average the operators, just like <a+a+> and <aa>. In that time, they are not zero.

Is that only in case of non equlibrium statistics?
 
  • #13
This is a mean field theory.

The mean field theory contains various approximations, such as the Hartree-Fock one I mentioned.

It is not ONLY in the case of nonequilibrium statistics.
 
  • #14
But if I don't have equlibrium statistics average values

[tex]
\langle \hat{A} \rangle =\sum_n\langle n|\hat{A}e^{-\beta\hat{H}}|n\rangle
[/tex]

[tex]
\langle \hat{a}^+_i\hat{b}^+_j\rangle
[/tex], [tex]
\langle \hat{a}_i\hat{b}_j\rangle
[/tex]... is going to be zero!
 
  • #15
You may be right.

I think the equilibrium statistics, generally, do not contain the condensed systems. Especially, the wick's theorem is not suitable for the condensed systems.

In the condensed systems, one may consider the double creation or destruction effect, e.g. <a+b+> or <ab>.
 
  • #16
Petar, maybe you find the book by Mattuck, A guide to Feynman Diagrams in many body systems enlightening. He discusses "anomalous propagators" in the chapter on phase transitions.
 
  • #17

1. What is Vicks Theorem?

Vicks Theorem is a mathematical formula used in quantum mechanics to calculate the average of Bose operators, which are mathematical operators used to describe the behavior of bosons (particles with integer spin).

2. How is Vicks Theorem used to calculate the average of Bose operators?

Vicks Theorem involves taking the trace of a product of two operators, one of which is the Bose operator and the other is its adjoint. This calculation results in the average value of the Bose operator.

3. What are the applications of Vicks Theorem?

Vicks Theorem is primarily used in quantum mechanics to study the behavior of bosons in different systems, such as in quantum field theory, Bose-Einstein condensates, and superfluids.

4. Are there any limitations to using Vicks Theorem?

While Vicks Theorem is a useful tool in quantum mechanics, it does have some limitations. It can only be applied to systems with a large number of particles, and it assumes that the particles are non-interacting.

5. How is Vicks Theorem related to other mathematical theorems?

Vicks Theorem is related to other theorems in quantum mechanics, such as Wick's theorem and the Baker-Campbell-Hausdorff formula, which are also used to simplify calculations involving operators. It is also related to the more general concept of operator ordering, which is used in various areas of physics and mathematics.

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