We present a formal geometric framework for the study of adiabatic quantum mechanics for arbitrary finite-dimensional non-degenerate Hamiltonians. This framework generalizes earlier holonomy interpretations of the geometric phase to non-cyclic states
appearing for non-Hermitian Hamiltonians. We start with an investigation of the space of non-degenerate operators on a finite-dimensional state space. We then show how the energy bands of a Hamiltonian family form a covering space. Likewise, we show that the eigenrays form a bundle, a generalization of a principal bundle, which admits a natural connection yielding the (generalized) geometric phase. This bundle provides in addition a natural generalization of the quantum geometric tensor and derived tensors, and we show how it can incorporate the non-geometric dynamical phase as well. We finish by demonstrating how the bundle can be recast as a principal bundle, so that both the geometric phases and the permutations of eigenstates can be expressed simultaneously by means of standard holonomy theory.
In a recent paper entitled Winding around non-Hermitian singularities by Zhong et al., published in Nat. Commun. 9, 4808 (2018), a formalism is proposed for calculating the permutations of eigenstates that arise upon encircling (multiple) exceptional
points (EPs) in the complex parameter plane of an analytic non-Hermitian Hamiltonian. The authors suggest that upon encircling EPs one should track the eigenvalue branch cuts that are traversed, and multiply the associated permutation matrices accordingly. In this comment we point out a serious shortcoming of this approach, illustrated by an explicit example that yields the wrong result for a specific loop. A more general method that has been published earlier by us and that does not suffer from this problem, is based on using fundamental loops. We briefly explain the method and list its various advantages. In addition, we argue that this method can be verified in a three wave-guide system, which then also unambiguously establishes the noncommutativity associated with encircling multiple EPs.
Several rotational invariant quantities for the lepton angular distributions in Drell-Yan and quarkonium production were derived several years ago, allowing the comparison between different experiments adopting different reference frames. Using an in
tuitive picture for describing the lepton angular distribution in these processes, we show how the rotational invariance of these quantities can be readily obtained. This approach can also be used to determine the rotational invariance or non-invariance of various quantities specifying the amount of violation for the Lam-Tung relation. While the violation of the Lam-Tung relation is often expressed by frame-dependent quantities, we note that alternative frame-independent quantities are preferred.
The defining characteristic of an exceptional point (EP) in the parameter space of a family of operators is that upon encircling the EP eigenstates are permuted. In case one encircles multiple EPs, the question arises how to properly compose the effe
cts of the individual EPs. This was thought to be ambiguous. We show that one can solve this problem by considering based loops and their deformations. The theory of fundamental groups allows to generalize this technique to arbitrary degeneracy structures like exceptional lines in a three-dimensional parameter space. As permutations of three or more objects form a non-abelian group, the next question that arises is whether one can experimentally demonstrate this non-commutative behavior. This requires at least two EPs of a family of operators that have at least 3 eigenstates. A concrete implementation in a recently proposed $mathcal{PT}$ symmetric waveguide system is suggested as an example of how to experimentally check the composition law and show the non-abelian nature of non-hermitian systems with multiple EPs.
We perform a phenomenological analysis of the $cos 2 phi $ azimuthal asymmetry in virtual photon plus jet production induced by the linear polarization of gluons in unpolarized $pA$ collisions. Although the linearly polarized gluon distribution becom
es maximal at small $x$, TMD evolutionleads to a Sudakov suppression of the asymmetry with increasing invariant mass of the $gamma^*$-jet pair. Employing a small-$x$ model input distribution, the asymmetry is found to be strongly suppressed under TMD evolution, but still remains sufficiently large to be measurable in the typical kinematical region accessible at RHIC or LHC at moderate photon virtuality, whereas it is expected to be negligible in $Z/W$-jet pair production at LHC. We point out the optimal kinematics for RHIC and LHC studies, in order to expedite the first experimental studies of the linearly polarized gluon distribution through this process. We further argue that this is a particularly clean process to test the $k_t$-resummation formalism in the small-$x$ regime.
We investigate the gluon transverse momentum dependent correlators as Fourier transform of matrix elements of nonlocal operator combinations. At the operator level these correlators include both field strength operators and gauge links bridging the n
onlocality. In contrast to the collinear PDFs, the gauge links are no longer unique for transverse momentum dependent PDFs (TMDs) and also Wilson loops lead to nontrivial effects. We look at gluon TMDs for unpolarized, vector and tensor polarized targets. In particular a single Wilson loop operators become important when one considers the small-x limit of gluon TMDs.
In this paper we consider the parametrizations of gluon transverse momentum dependent (TMD) correlators in terms of TMD parton distribution functions (PDFs). These functions, referred to as TMDs, are defined as the Fourier transforms of hadronic matr
ix elements of nonlocal combinations of gluon fields. The nonlocality is bridged by gauge links, which have characteristic paths (future or past pointing), giving rise to a process dependence that breaks universality. For gluons, the specific correlator with one future and one past pointing gauge link is, in the limit of small $x$, related to a correlator of a single Wilson loop. We present the parametrization of Wilson loop correlators in terms of Wilson loop TMDs and discuss the relation between these functions and the small-$x$ `dipole gluon TMDs. This analysis shows which gluon TMDs are leading or suppressed in the small-$x$ limit. We discuss hadronic targets that are unpolarized, vector polarized (relevant for spin-$1/2$ and spin-$1$ hadrons), and tensor polarized (relevant for spin-$1$ hadrons). The latter are of interest for studies with a future Electron-Ion Collider with polarized deuterons.
This talk reports on recent work where we studied the connection between the description of semi-inclusive DIS at high transverse momentum (based on collinear factorization) and low transverse momentum (based on transverse-momentum-dependent factoriz
ation). We used power counting to determine the leading behavior of the structure functions at intermediate transverse momentum in the two descriptions. When the power behaviors are different, two distinct mechanisms are present and there can be no matching between them. When the power behavior is the same, the two descriptions must match. An explicit calculation however shows that for some observables this is not the case, suggesting that the transverse-momentum-dependent-factorization description beyond leading twist is incomplete.
