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arXiv:1309.7899

Comment on "Semiclassical and Quantum Analysis of a Focussing Free Particle Hermite Wavefunction", by Paul Strange (arXiv:1309.6753 [quant-ph])

Andrea Aiello

Published Sep 30, 2013• 2 citations

Abstract

In the recent and very enjoyable paper (Paul Strange, "Semiclassical and Quantum Analysis of a Focussing Free Particle Hermite Wavefunction", arXiv:1309.6753[quant-ph]), Professor Strange has studied a particular solution of the free particle Schroedinger equation in which the time and space dependence are not separable. After recognizing the fact that "The Schroedinger equation has an identical mathematical form to the paraxial wave equation [...]", he claims to "describe and try to gain insight into an exotic, apparently accelerating solution of the free particle Schroedinger equation that is square integrable and which also displays some unusual characteristics." It is the main aim of this short note to show that the wavefunction described by Prof. Strange is simply one particular Hermite-Gauss solution of the paraxial wave equation and even more "exotic" examples can be found by considering, e.g., Laguerre-Gauss solutions.

DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.1309.7899

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In the recent and very enjoyable paper (Paul Strange, "Semiclassical and Quantum Analysis of a Focussing Free Particle Hermite Wavefunction", arXiv:1309.6753[quant-ph]), Professor Strange has studied a particular solution of the free particle Schroedinger equation in which the time and space dependence are not separable. After recognizing the fact that "The Schroedinger equation has an identical mathematical form to the paraxial wave equation [...]", he claims to "describe and try to gain insight into an exotic, apparently accelerating solution of the free particle Schroedinger equation that is square integrable and which also displays some unusual characteristics." It is the main aim of this short note to show that the wavefunction described by Prof. Strange is simply one particular Hermite-Gauss solution of the paraxial wave equation and even more "exotic" examples can be found by considering, e.g., Laguerre-Gauss solutions.

In this paper we discuss a solution of the free particle Schroodinger equation in which the time and space dependence are not separable. The wavefunction is written as a product of exponential terms, Hermite polynomials and a phase. The peaks in the wavefunction decelerate and then accelerate around t = 0. We analyse this behaviour within both a quantum and a semi-classical regime. We show that the acceleration does not represent true acceleration of the particle but can be related to the envelope function of the allowed classical paths. Comparison with other accelerating wavefunctions is also made. The analysis provides considerable insight into the meaning of the quantum wavefunction.

In this Brief Report we discuss a solution of the free-particle Schr\"odinger equation in which the time and space dependence are not separable. The wave function is written as a product of exponential terms, Hermite polynomials, and a phase. The peaks in the wave function decelerate and then accelerate around

t=0

. We analyze this behavior within both a quantum and a semiclassical regime. We show that the acceleration does not represent true acceleration of the particle but can be related to the envelope function of the allowed classical paths. Comparison with other ``accelerating'' wave functions is also made. The analysis provides considerable insight into the meaning of the quantum wave function.

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.

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.