Narrow Results

We compute, for massive particles, the explicit Wigner rotations of one-particle states for arbitrary Lorentz transformations; and the explicit Hermitian generators of the infinite-dimensional unitary representation. For a pair of spin 1/2 particles, Einstein–Podolsky–Rosen–ell entangled states and their behaviour under the Lorentz group are analyzed in the context of quantum field theory. Group theoretical considerations suggest a convenient definition of the Bell states which is slightly different from the conventional assignment. The behaviour of Bell states under arbitrary Lorentz transformations can then be described succinctly. Reduced density matrices applicable to systems of identical particles are defined through Yang's prescription. The von Neumann entropy of each of the reduced density matrix is Lorentz invariant; and its relevance as a measure of entanglement is discussed, and illustrated with an explicit example. A regularization of the entropy in terms of generalized zeta functions is also suggested.

In this paper, we calculate the helicity rotation angle induced by Lorentz boosts. This is relevant for the study of Lorentz boost effects on quantum entanglement encoded in pairs of massive fermions, which are described in terms of positive energy solutions of the Dirac equation with definite helicity. A Lorentz boost describing the change to an inertial frame moving at uniform speed will in general rotate the particle’s helicity. We obtain the coefficients of the helicity superposition in the boosted frame and specialize our results for a perpendicular boost geometry. We verify that the helicity rotation angle can be obtained in terms of the Wigner rotation angle for spin $1∕2$ states, bridging the framework considered in our previous works to the one of the Wigner rotations. Finally, we calculate the boost-induced spin-parity entanglement for a single particle.