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arXiv:0807.1966 · Symmetry Integrability and Geometry Methods and Applications

Wigner Distribution Functions and the Representation of Canonical Transformations in Time-Dependent Quantum Mechanics

Dieter Schuch

Published Jul 14, 2008• 5 citations
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Abstract

For classical canonical transformations, one can, using the Wigner transformation, pass from their representation in Hilbert space to a kernel in phase space.In this paper it will be discussed how the time-dependence of the uncertainties of the corresponding time-dependent quantum problems can be incorporated into this formalism.
DOI
10.3842/sigma.2008.054

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In a previous paper, with a similar title, the authors showed that for bijective (i.e. one-to-one onto) canonical transformations they can obtain their quantum mechanical representations in the form of a kernel in the phase space of Wigner distribution functions and recover the classical expectation for this kernel in the limit to 0. For non-bijective canonical transformations the situation is more complex as the phase space acquires either a Riemann surface structure or requires the introduction of the concept of an ambiguity group. By discussing the non-bijective canonical transformation taking them from an oscillator of frequency kappa -1 , where kappa is an integer, to one of unit frequency, they see how the kernel is generalised to include the indices associated with the irreducible representations of the ambiguity group, i.e. the ambiguity spins. They obtain the kernel explicitly and show that in the limit to 0 they recover the form that they expect in the Riemann surface picture of their phase space. While they illustrate their analysis through the representation in Wigner distribution phase space of a specific non-bijective canonical transformation, the procedure is clearly extendable to the representations of general canonical transformations of this type.
Classical mechanics, in the Koopman-von Neumann formulation, is described in Hilbert space. It is shown here that classical canonical transformations are generated by Hermitian operators that are in general noncommutative. This naturally brings about uncertainty relations inherent in classical mechanics, for example between position and the generator of space translations, between momentum and the generator of momentum translations, and between dynamical time and the Liouvillian, to name a few. Further, it is shown that the Wigner representation produces a quasi-probability distribution that can take on negative values. Thus, two of the hallmark features of quantum mechanics are reproduced, and become apparent, in a Hilbert-space formulation of classical mechanics.
In this Paper we present an approach to Quantum Mechanical Canonical Transformations. Our main result is that Time Dependent Quantum Canonical Transformations can always be cast in the form of Squeezing Operators. We revise the main properties of these operators in regard to its Lie group properties, how two of them can be combined to yield another operator of the same class and how can also be decomposed and fragmented. In the second part of the paper we show how this procedure works extremely well for the Time Dependent Quantum Harmonic Oscillator. The issue of the systematic construction of Quantum Canonical Transformations is also discussed along the lines of Dirac, Wigner and Schwinger ideas and to the more recent work by Lee. The main conclusion is that the Classical Phase Space Transformation can be maintained in the operator formalism but the construction of the Quantum Canonical Transformation is not clearly related to the Classical Generating Function of a Classical Canonical Transformation. We propose the road of Squeezing Operators rather than the old one attached to Quantum Operators constructed under the guideline of the exponential of the Classical Generating Function.