1
$\begingroup$

I have a question about the choosing of basis that compose the Hamiltonian of multiple systems. For example if we have a system of N particles, that depend in our case of Pauli matrixes i will give the most simple case, $$H=A\sum_i^N \sigma_i^x+B\sum_i^N\sigma_i^z$$

Where the notation means $\sigma^z_3=1\otimes 1 \otimes \sigma^z \otimes 1 \otimes \cdots \otimes 1$

So if I want to find how will look the Hamiltonian in other basis, we need to do the transformation,

$$H'=PHP^{-1}$$

Where $P$ is the change of basis matrix. If we have the more simple system of 1 particle, so we choose the basis for the spin $|0\rangle,|1\rangle$, so if we wanted to do a change of basis from $z$ to the $x$ basis, one of the ways to do it is with a rotation matrix for changing the basis, $$H_x=\begin{pmatrix}\cos\theta/2&\sin\theta/2 \\ -\sin\theta/2&\cos\theta/2 \end{pmatrix}H_z\begin{pmatrix}\cos\theta/2&-\sin\theta/2 \\ \sin\theta/2&\cos\theta/2 \end{pmatrix}_{\theta=\pi/2}$$

We can decompose any system in 2D into Pauli matrixes and identities so for example we have the $z$ pauli matrix in the $x$ basis $\sigma_x^z$ $$\sigma_x^z=\frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}\begin{pmatrix}1&1 \\ -1&1 \end{pmatrix}\begin{pmatrix}1&0 \\ 0&-1 \end{pmatrix}\frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}\begin{pmatrix}1&-1 \\ 1&1 \end{pmatrix}=\begin{pmatrix}0&1 \\ 1&0 \end{pmatrix}=\sigma_z^x$$

With a 1 particle system for changing from $z$ to $x$ basis is easy that we have to change $\sigma_x \leftrightarrow \sigma_z$. My question is, if we have a N particle system, for changing the basis it's only necesary to change the Pauli matrixes on the definition, i.e. $$1\otimes1\otimes \sigma_z \leftrightarrow 1\otimes1\otimes \sigma_x$$

Or its necessary to construct a analog for the rotation matrix but in the corresponding dymension of the system. I don't know if it's even possible, but my question is this, if for multiple particle systems you can change the basis "for each spin separately" how I have shown, or this have some implications that don't allow you to do it.

$\endgroup$
1
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ you can consider "glocal" basis changes, if you so wish. In other words, you can consider $UHU^\dagger$ with some unitary $U$ that is not local, in which case the rotated basis elements might not factorise nicely as the standard ones. That usually complicates things though, so you might not want to do it $\endgroup$
    – glS
    Commented Oct 13, 2021 at 19:04

0