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How to prove zero classical classical Green's function contribution

Physics Asked by Jan Cillié Louw on June 11, 2021

Much of the Keldysh formalism is based on the following identity
$$G^{T}(t,t’) + G^{tilde{T}}(t,t’) = G^{<}(t,t’) + G^{>}(t,t’),$$
which using their defintions is equivalent to
$$G^{text{cl,cl}}(t,t’) equiv ilangle (psi^+(t) – psi^{-}(t))(psi^+(t’) – psi^{-}(t’)) rangle = 0,$$
I can see how this holds for a Harmonic oscillator, but I do not see how this holds in general. Here $psi^+$ is on the forward and $psi^-$ on the backward parts of the closed time contour respectively. Obviously if one assumes that $psi^+(t) = psi^-(t)$, then this holds, but is the point not to treat them as independent?

In Kamenev continuous notation, we have for instance

$$langle psi^{pm}(t) psi^{pm}(t’) rangle = int D[psi bar{psi}] psi^pm(t) psi^pm(t’) e^{S[bar{psi},psi]}$$
with the action
$$S[bar{psi},psi] = int_{-infty}^{infty}dtau mathcal{L}[bar{psi}^+(tau),psi^+(tau)] – int_{-infty}^{infty}dtau mathcal{L}[bar{psi}^-(tau),psi^-(tau)].$$
The minus sign is from flipping the backwards time integrals bounds.

Kamenev states (paraphrasing): The continuum notation
creates the impression that the $psi^+$ and $psi^-$ fields are completely uncorrelated. In fact, they are connected due to the presence of the non-zero off-diagonal blocks in the discrete form of $mathcal{L}$

It is this correlation that somehow still means that $G^{cl,cl} = 0$ even though $psi^+(t) neq psi^-(t)$.

One Answer

By definition: $$ G^T(t,t') = G^>(t,t')theta(t-t') + G^<(t,t')theta(t'-t), G^{tilde{T}}(t,t') = G^>(t,t')theta(t'-t) + G^<(t,t')theta(t-t'). $$ By summing these two equations we readily obtain: $$ G^T(t,t') + G^{tilde{T}}(t,t') = G^>(t,t') + G^<(t,t'). $$ This equality is thus the consequence of the definitions of the Green's functions involved.

I sketch the derivation of the second identity without delving too much on the notation (apparently defined in Kamenev's review). $$ ilangle left(psi^+(t) -psi^-(t)right)left(psi^+(t') -psi^-(t')right)rangle= ilangle psi^+(t)psi^+(t')rangle + ilangle psi^-(t)psi^-(t')rangle - ilangle psi^+(t)psi^-(t')rangle - ilangle psi^+(t)psi^-(t')rangle= G^T(t,t') + G^{tilde{T}}(t,t') - G^>(t,t') - G^<(t,t') $$ This is zero due to the first equality.

The full set of relations can be found, e.g., in the review by Rammer&Smith.

Update
To add some relevant material that was discussed in the comments. Green's function
$$G(t,t')=-ilangle T_cleft[psi(t)bar{psi}(t')right]rangle,$$ with times $t,t'$ taken on the Keldysh contour, is quivalent to four Green's functions with real time arguments, which are distinguished by whether each time lies on the forward ($C_+/C_1$) or backward ($C_-/C_2$) branch of the Keldysh contour. Specifically, $$G_{12}(t,t') = ilangle psi^+(t)bar{psi}^-(t')rangle,$$ since, according to the countour ordering, $t$ on the forward branch of the contour is "lesser" than $t'$ on the backward branch, $t<_ct'$. The crucial point here is that superscripts $pm$ are only a book-keeping tool for ordering the operators. Once the order is established, they are no more needed, and the above Green's function can be written as $$G_{12}(t,t') = ilangle psi(t)bar{psi}(t')rangle = G^{<}(t,t'),$$ which is by definition the "lesser" Green's function.

Indeed, we can see that the operators taken at the same time $t$ at the two branches of the contour are the same, if we avoid taking the Keldysh limit of extending contour to $+infty$ and stay within the Kadanoff-Baym framework of the contour running from $-infty$ to arbitrarily chosen time and backward to $-infty$. Deforming the contour in such a way that it turns back at time $t$, we see that $psi^+(t)$ is identical with $psi^-(t)$.

Similar manipulations with the contour are also possible when considering two-time Green's function - by deforming the contour one could place the two times either on the same or on the different branches.

Keldysh trick of extending the contour to $+infty$ and seemingly cutting it into two separate branches makes the formalism less transparent, but significantly simplifies the calculations.

Correct answer by Roger Vadim on June 11, 2021

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