Time-Dependent Pseudo-Hermitian Hamiltonians and a Hidden Geometric Aspect of Quantum Mechanics

Abstract: A non-Hermitian operator $H$ defined in a Hilbert space with inner product $\langle\cdot|\cdot\rangle$ may serve as the Hamiltonian for a unitary quantum system, if it is $\eta$-pseudo-Hermitian for a metric operator (positive-definite automorphism) $\eta$. The latter defines the inner product $\langle \cdot|\eta\cdot\rangle $ of the physical Hilbert space $\mathscr{H} _{\eta}$ of the system. For situations where some of the eigenstates of $H$ depend on time, $\eta$ becomes time-dependent. Therefore the system has a non-stationary Hilbert space. Such quantum systems, which are also encountered in the study of quantum mechanics in cosmological backgrounds, suffer from a conflict between the unitarity of time evolution and the unobservability of the Hamiltonian. Their proper treatment requires a geometric framework which clarifies the notion of the energy observable and leads to a geometric extension of quantum mechanics (GEQM). We provide a general introduction to the subject, review some of the recent developments, offer a straightforward description of the Heisenberg-picture formulation of the dynamics for quantum systems having a time-dependent Hilbert space, and outline the Heisenberg-picture formulation of dynamics in GEQM.