Deformed algebras, position-dependent effective masses and curved spaces: an exactly solvable Coulomb problem

Abstract

We show that there exist some intimate connections between three unconventional Schrödinger equations based on the use of deformed canonical commutation relations, of a position-dependent effective mass or of a curved space. This occurs whenever a specific relation between the deforming function, the position-dependent mass and the (diagonal) metric tensor holds true. We illustrate these three equivalent approaches by considering a new Coulomb problem and solving it by means of supersymmetric quantum mechanical and shape invariance techniques. We show that in contrast with the conventional Coulomb problem, the new one gives rise to only a finite number of bound states.