In this paper on supersymmetry, the Hamiltonian for the supersymmetric oscillator is given: $$H = \frac12 p^2 + \frac12 \omega^2 x^2 + \omega\bar\psi\psi.$$ Furthermore, its factorisation is given as $$H = \omega(a_B^{\dagger}a_B + a_F^{\dagger}a_F)$$ where the creation/annihilation operators have been defined as follows: $$a_B^{\dagger}=\frac{1}{\sqrt{2\omega}}(-ip+\omega x),\quad a_B=\frac{1}{\sqrt{2\omega}}(ip+\omega x),\quad a_F^{\dagger}=\bar\psi,\quad a_F=\psi.$$ Questions:
- In order for this factorisation to work, surely $x$ and $p$ must commute? So I assume $x$, $p$ are just commuting bosonic variables (not operators) and $\psi$, $\bar\psi$ are just anti-commuting fermionic (Grassmann) variables?
- Later in the paper it states that $\{Q,\bar Q\}=H/\omega$, this being the anti-commutator between the operators $Q=a_B^{\dagger}a_F$ and $\bar Q=a_F^{\dagger}a_B$. But this can't be true if $x$, $p$ (or $\psi$, $\bar\psi$) commute (or anti-commute). So have they been promoted to operators at this point?
- If so and they obey the relations $[x,p]=i$ and $\{\psi,\bar\psi\}=1$, then I find that $\{Q,\bar Q\}\ne H/\omega$. Am I missing something?