Gamow vectors are generalized eigenvectors of the Hamiltonian with complex eigenvalues that describe exponentially decaying (or growing) states. The energy wavefunctions corresponding to Gamow vectors have a pole immediately below (or above) the real axis in the complex energy plane. Although complex energy values were introduced more than half a century ago for the theory of alpha decay, they have become disreputable and have been banished from quantum mechanics textbooks because of mathematical problems and incorrect physical interpretation. Developments in modern mathematics have now provided a mathematical foundation that has led to the correct physical interpretation. In this article, energy eigenvectors with complex eigenvalues are first introduced by explicitly considering a specific simple decaying system. Then, an elementary account of the properties of Gamow vectors is given. The results from the decaying system provide a motivation for the introduction of Gamow vectors and some of the background information needed to understand their properties.

The explicit construction of a dense subspace Φ of square integrable functions on the positive half of the real line is given. This space Φ has the properties that: (1) it is endowed with a metrizable nuclear topology, (2) it is stable under multiplication by x, and (3) the functions in Φ have suitable analytical continuation to a half plane. The space Φ* of functions which are conjugate to elements of Φ is also considered. Then the triplets Φ⊆ L² (0,∞)⊆Φ′ and Φ*⊆ L² (0,∞)⊆Φ*′ are used to give a description of resonances.

The Gamow vector description of resonances is compared with the S matrix and the Green function descriptions using the example of the square barrier potential. By imposing different boundary conditions on the time independent Schrödinger equation, we obtain either eigenvectors corresponding to real eigenvalues and the physical spectrum or eigenvectors corresponding to complex eigenvalues (Gamow vectors) and the resonance spectrum. We show that the poles of the S matrix are the same as the poles of the Green function and are the complex eigenvalues of the Schrödinger equation subject to a purely outgoing boundary condition. The intrinsic time asymmetry of the purely outgoing boundary condition is discussed. Finally, we show that the probability of detecting the decay within a shell around the origin of the decaying state follows an exponential law if the Gamow vector (resonance) contribution to this probability is the only contribution that is taken into account.