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arXiv:1010.5525 · Journal of Physics A Mathematical and Theoretical

Harmonic states for the free particle

J Guerrero, Francisco F. López-Ruiz, V. Aldaya, F Cossío

Published Oct 17, 2011• 45 citations
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Abstract

Different families of states, which are solutions of the time-dependent free Schrödinger equation, are imported from the harmonic oscillator using the quantum Arnold transformation introduced in Aldaya et al (2011 J. Phys. A: Math. Theor. 44 065302). Among them, infinite series of states are given that are normalizable, expand the whole space of solutions, are spatially multi-localized and are eigenstates of a suitably defined number operator. Associated with these states new sets of coherent and squeezed states for the free particle are defined representing traveling, squeezed, multi-localized wave packets. These states are also constructed in higher dimensions, leading to the quantum mechanical version of the Hermite–Gauss and Laguerre–Gauss states of paraxial wave optics. Some applications of these new families of states and procedures to experimentally realize and manipulate them are outlined.

DOI
10.1088/1751-8113/44/44/445307

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Different families of states, which are solutions of the time-dependent free Schrödinger equation, are imported from the harmonic oscillator using the quantum Arnold transformation introduced in Aldaya et al (2011 J. Phys. A: Math. Theor. 44 065302). Among them, infinite series of states are given that are normalizable, expand the whole space of solutions, are spatially multi-localized and are eigenstates of a suitably defined number operator. Associated with these states new sets of coherent and squeezed states for the free particle are defined representing traveling, squeezed, multi-localized wave packets. These states are also constructed in higher dimensions, leading to the quantum mechanical version of the Hermite–Gauss and Laguerre–Gauss states of paraxial wave optics. Some applications of these new families of states and procedures to experimentally realize and manipulate them are outlined.
Different families of states, which are solutions of the time-dependent free Schr\"odinger equation, are imported from the harmonic oscillator using the Quantum Arnold Transformation introduced in a previous paper. Among them, infinite series of states are given that are normalizable, expand the whole space of solutions, are spatially multi-localized and are eigenstates of a suitably defined number operator. Associated with these states new sets of coherent and squeezed states for the free particle are defined representing traveling, squeezed, multi-localized wave packets. These states are also constructed in higher dimensions, leading to the quantum mechanical version of the Hermite-Gauss and Laguerre-Gauss states of paraxial wave optics. Some applications of these new families of states and procedures to experimentally realize and manipulate them are outlined.
Physical consequences of the theorem of equivalence among harmonic oscillators of different frequencies, including a free particle as a special case, are explored. A new pictorial way of understanding time-dependent coherent states and squeezed states are presented and contrasted with the standard view. Three-dimensional spherical analogues of squeezed coherent states are constructed. It is also shown as a corollary of the theorem that a free wave packet which coincides initially with any one of the eigenfunctions of a harmonic oscillator maintains its shape, that is, the probability density of position does not change apart from a time-dependent scaling of spatial coordinates. Most of the results are derived without use of any sophisticated techniques but with the knowledge of free wave packets alone.
Physical consequences of the theorem of equivalence among harmonic oscillators of different frequencies, including a free particle as a special case, are explored. A new pictorial way of understanding time-dependent coherent states and squeezed states are presented and contrasted with the standard view. Three-dimensional spherical analogues of squeezed coherent states are constructed. It is also shown as a corollary of the theorem that a free wave packet which coincides initially with any one of the eigenfunctions of a harmonic oscillator maintains its shape, that is, the probability density of position does not change apart from a time-dependent scaling of spatial coordinates. Most of the results are derived without use of any sophisticated techniques but with the knowledge of free wave packets alone.
We construct the coherent states of a free particle by implementing a coordinate transformation in the extended configuration space, which establishes a correspondence between the solutions of the Schrödinger equation for a harmonic oscillator and those for a free particle. Using this framework, we derive analytical expressions for the coherent states of a free particle, avoiding the complexities of non-normalizable fiducial states, integrals of motion, or group-theoretic approaches. Our method provides a systematic way to characterize these states at any instant while ensuring that they satisfy the Robertson-Schrödinger uncertainty relation.
Chapter 9 is devoted to a detailed study of the harmonic oscillator in one dimension. The time-dependent Schrödinger equation is used to construct the coherent oscillator packet with minimal dispersion, which provides an opportunity to appreciate the similarities and differences between the dynamics of the classical and quantum oscillators. In a second step, we study the stationary solutions of the oscillator, which represent one of the most important orthogonal sets of quantum eigenfunctions because of its many applications, properties, and relative simplicity. Further, the use of raising and lowering (or creation and annihilation) operators is shown to be a powerful way of dealing with both material and field oscillators in general. Finally, the problem of two coupled oscillators is used to generalize the Schrödinger equation to the case of more than one particle.
We show that one can obtain analytic solutions of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation that are more complex than the well-known oscillating coherent wave packet. Such Hermite-Gaussian or initially square wave packets exist for a free particle or for one subject to the harmonic oscillator potential. In either case, the Hermite-Gaussian packets retain their nodal structure even after long times. There is a single class of exact solutions for the system with oscillator constant K > 0, K = 0, or K < 0, leading to wave functions for the harmonic oscillator, the free particle, and the inverted oscillator, respectively.