The initial-to-final-state inverse problem with time-independent potentials

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Cañizares, Manuel, Caro, Pedro, Parissis, Ioannis, Zacharopoulos, Thanasis
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Cañizares, Manuel
Caro, Pedro
Parissis, Ioannis
Zacharopoulos, Thanasis
author_facet Cañizares, Manuel
Caro, Pedro
Parissis, Ioannis
Zacharopoulos, Thanasis
contents The initial-to-final-state inverse problem consists in determining a quantum Hamiltonian assuming the knowledge of the state of the system at some fixed time, for every initial state. This problem was formulated by Caro and Ruiz and motivated by the data-driven prediction problem in quantum mechanics. Caro and Ruiz analysed the question of uniqueness for Hamiltonians of the form $-Δ+ V$ with an electric potential $V = V(\mathrm{t}, \mathrm{x})$ that depends on the time and space variables. In this context, they proved that uniqueness holds in dimension $n \geq 2$ whenever the potentials are bounded and have super-exponential decay at infinity. Although their result does not seem to be optimal, one would expect at least some degree of exponential decay to be necessary for the potentials. However, in this paper, we show that by restricting the analysis to Hamiltonians with time-independent electric potentials, namely $V = V(\mathrm{x})$, uniqueness can be established for bounded integrable potentials exhibiting only super-linear decay at infinity, in any dimension $n \geq 2$. This surprising improvement is possible because, unlike Caro and Ruiz's approach, our argument avoids the use of complex geometrical optics (CGO). Instead, we rely on the construction of stationary states at different energies -- this is possible because the potential does not depend on time. These states will have an explicit leading term, given by a Herglotz wave, plus a correction term that will vanish as the energy grows. Besides the significant relaxation of decay assumptions on the potential, the avoidance of CGO solutions is important in its own right, since such solutions are not readily available in more complicated geometric settings.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2503_06205
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle The initial-to-final-state inverse problem with time-independent potentials
Cañizares, Manuel
Caro, Pedro
Parissis, Ioannis
Zacharopoulos, Thanasis
Analysis of PDEs
Mathematical Physics
35R30 (Primary) 35J10, 81U40 (Secondary)
The initial-to-final-state inverse problem consists in determining a quantum Hamiltonian assuming the knowledge of the state of the system at some fixed time, for every initial state. This problem was formulated by Caro and Ruiz and motivated by the data-driven prediction problem in quantum mechanics. Caro and Ruiz analysed the question of uniqueness for Hamiltonians of the form $-Δ+ V$ with an electric potential $V = V(\mathrm{t}, \mathrm{x})$ that depends on the time and space variables. In this context, they proved that uniqueness holds in dimension $n \geq 2$ whenever the potentials are bounded and have super-exponential decay at infinity. Although their result does not seem to be optimal, one would expect at least some degree of exponential decay to be necessary for the potentials. However, in this paper, we show that by restricting the analysis to Hamiltonians with time-independent electric potentials, namely $V = V(\mathrm{x})$, uniqueness can be established for bounded integrable potentials exhibiting only super-linear decay at infinity, in any dimension $n \geq 2$. This surprising improvement is possible because, unlike Caro and Ruiz's approach, our argument avoids the use of complex geometrical optics (CGO). Instead, we rely on the construction of stationary states at different energies -- this is possible because the potential does not depend on time. These states will have an explicit leading term, given by a Herglotz wave, plus a correction term that will vanish as the energy grows. Besides the significant relaxation of decay assumptions on the potential, the avoidance of CGO solutions is important in its own right, since such solutions are not readily available in more complicated geometric settings.
title The initial-to-final-state inverse problem with time-independent potentials
topic Analysis of PDEs
Mathematical Physics
35R30 (Primary) 35J10, 81U40 (Secondary)
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.06205