Differential Realization of Pseudo-Hermiticity: A quantum mechanical analog of Einstein's field equation

For a given pseudo-Hermitian Hamiltonian of the standard form: H=p^2/2m+v(x), we reduce the problem of finding the most general (pseudo-)metric operator \eta satisfying H^\dagger=\eta H \eta^{-1} to the solution of a differential equation. If the configuration space is the real line, this is a Klein-Gordon equation with a nonconstant mass term. We obtain a general series solution of this equation that involves a pair of arbitrary functions. These characterize the arbitrariness in the choice of \eta. We apply our general results to calculate \eta for the PT-symmetric square well, an imaginary scattering potential, and a class of imaginary delta-function potentials. For the first two systems, our method reproduces the known results in a straightforward and extremely efficient manner. For all these systems we obtain the most general \eta up to second order terms in the coupling constants.