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Dynamics of a Strongly Coupled Polaron

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Abstract

We study the dynamics of large polarons described by the Fröhlich Hamiltonian in the limit of strong coupling. The initial conditions are (perturbations of) product states of an electron wave function and a phonon coherent state, as suggested by Pekar. We show that, to leading order on the natural time scale of the problem, the phonon field is stationary and the electron moves according to an effective linear Schrödinger equation.

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Author notes

  1. Benjamin Schlein

    Present address: Institute of Mathematics, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mathematics 253-37, Caltech, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA

    Rupert L. Frank

  2. University of Bonn, Endenicher Allee 60, 53115, Bonn, Germany

    Benjamin Schlein

Authors
  1. Rupert L. Frank
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  2. Benjamin Schlein
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Correspondence to Rupert L. Frank.

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© 2014 by the authors. This paper may be reproduced, in its entirety, for non-commercial purposes.

U.S. National Science Foundation grant PHY-1347399 (R.F.) and ERC Starting Grant MAQD-240518 (B.S.) are acknowledged.

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Frank, R.L., Schlein, B. Dynamics of a Strongly Coupled Polaron. Lett Math Phys 104, 911–929 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11005-014-0700-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11005-014-0700-7

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