We construct ladder operators, C̃ and C̃†, for a multistep rational extension of the harmonic oscillator on the half plane, x ≥ 0. These ladder operators connect all states of the spectrum in only infinite-dimensional representations of their polynomial Heisenberg algebra. For comparison, we also construct two different classes of ladder operator acting on this system that form finite-dimensional as well as infinite-dimensional representations of their respective polynomial Heisenberg algebras. For the rational extension, we construct the position wavefunctions in terms of exceptional orthogonal polynomials. For a particular choice of parameters and for the three lowest weights μ = −5, −3, and 5, we construct the coherent states, eigenvectors of C̃ with generally complex eigenvalues, z, as superposition of subsets of the energy eigenvectors. Then, we calculate the properties of these coherent states, looking for classical or nonclassical behavior. We calculate the energy expectations as functions of |z|. We plot position probability densities for the coherent states and for the even and odd cat states formed from these coherent states. We plot the Wigner functions for a particular choice of z. For these coherent states on one arm of a beamsplitter, we calculate the two excitation number distributions and the linear entropies of the output states. We plot the standard deviations in x and find squeezing in the regime considered in one of the cases. By plotting the Mandel Q parameters for the coherent states as functions of |z|, we find that the number statistics is sub-Poissonian in all cases.
We construct ladder operators, C̃ and C̃†, for a multistep rational extension of the harmonic oscillator on the half plane, x ≥ 0. These ladder operators connect all states of the spectrum in only infinite-dimensional representations of their polynomial Heisenberg algebra. For comparison, we also construct two different classes of ladder operator acting on this system that form finite-dimensional as well as infinite-dimensional representations of their respective polynomial Heisenberg algebras. For the rational extension, we construct the position wavefunctions in terms of exceptional orthogonal polynomials. For a particular choice of parameters and for the three lowest weights μ = −5, −3, and 5, we construct the coherent states, eigenvectors of C̃ with generally complex eigenvalues, z, as superposition of subsets of the energy eigenvectors. Then, we calculate the properties of these coherent states, looking for classical or nonclassical behavior. We calculate the energy expectations as functions of |z|. We plot position probability densities for the coherent states and for the even and odd cat states formed from these coherent states. We plot the Wigner functions for a particular choice of z. For these coherent states on one arm of a beamsplitter, we calculate the two excitation number distributions and the linear entropies of the output states. We plot the standard deviations in x and find squeezing in the regime considered in one of the cases. By plotting the Mandel Q parameters for the coherent states as functions of |z|, we find that the number statistics is sub-Poissonian in all cases.
Abstract The systems we consider are rational extensions of the harmonic oscillator, the truncated oscillator and the radial oscillator. The wavefunctions for the extended states involve exceptional Hermite polynomials for the oscillator and truncated oscillator and exceptional Laguerre polynomials for the radial oscillator. In all cases it is possible to construct ladder operators that have infinite-dimensional representations of their polynomial Heisenberg algebras and couple all levels of the systems. We construct Barut-Girardello coherent states in all cases, eigenvectors of the respective annihilation operators with complex eigenvalues. Then we calculate their physical properties to look for classical or non-classical behaviour.
Abstract We construct the coherent states of general order, m , for the ladder operators and , which act on rational deformations of the harmonic oscillator. The position wavefunctions of the eigenvectors involve type III Hermite exceptional orthogonal polynomials. We plot energy expectations, time-dependent position probability densities for the coherent states and for the even and odd cat states, Wigner functions, and Heisenberg uncertainty relations. We find generally non-classical behaviour, with one exception: there is a regime of large magnitude of the coherent state parameter, z , where the otherwise indistinct position probability density separates into m + 1 distinct wavepackets oscillating and colliding in the potential, forming interference fringes when they collide. The Mandel Q parameter is calculated to find sub-Poissonian statistics, another indicator of non-classical behaviour. We plot the position standard deviation and find squeezing in many of the cases. We calculate the two ‘photon’ number probability density for the output state when the m = 4, coherent states (where μ labels the lowest weight in the superposition) are placed on one arm of a beamsplitter. We find that it does not factorize, again indicating non-classical behaviour. Calculation of the linear entropy for this beamsplitter output state shows significant entanglement, another non-classical feature. We also construct linearized versions, , of the annihilation operators and their coherent states and calculate the same properties that we investigate for the coherent states. For these we find similar behaviour to the coherent states, at much smaller magnitudes of z , but comparable average energies.
Abstract We construct the coherent states and Schrödinger cat states associated with new types of ladder operators for a particular case of a rationally extended harmonic oscillator involving type III Hermite exceptional orthogonal polynomials. In addition to the coherent states of the annihilation operator, c , we form the linearised version, c ~ , and obtain its coherent states. We find that while the coherent states defined as eigenvectors of the annihilation operator c display only quantum behaviour, those of the linearised version, c ~ , have position probability densities displaying distinct wavepackets oscillating and colliding in the potential. The collisions are certainly quantum, as interference fringes are produced, but the remaining evolution indicates a classical analogue.
In this work, we derive two equivalent non-rational extensions of the quantum harmonic oscillator using two different supersymmetric transformations. For these extensions, we built ladder operators as the product of the intertwining operators related with these equivalent supersymmetric transformations, which results in two-step ladder operators. We linearised these operators to obtain operators of the same nature that follow a linear commutation relation. After the linearisation, we derive coherent states as eigenstates of the annigilation operator and analyse some relevant mathematical and physical properties, such as the completeness relation, mean-energy values, temporal stability, time evolution of the probability densities, and Wigner distributions. From these properties, we conclude that these coherent states present both classical and quantum behaviour.
This thesis concerns quantum states that are superpositions of discrete or of continuum energy levels. It develops mathematical methods to characterize the physical properties of these states and finds important consequences. Regarding rational extensions of the harmonic oscillator, no other authors had constructed the coherent states associated with the ladder operators of Marquette and Quesne. It was our aim to proceed with this construction, then to calculate physical properties of these coherent states, looking for classical or quantum behaviour. The method of partial wave analysis was known to be not applicable to the Coulomb potential for the scattering of plane waves. It was my aim to repeat the calculation for wavepacket scattering, to investigate whether the method became applicable. Other authors have constructed relativistic probability amplitudes and compared them to the scalar Klein-Gordon amplitude. In this context, it was my aim to question the conclusion of a minimum width for a massive particle. In the same context, I investigated the possibility of a four-vector probability current with the Newton-Wigner position probability density as the zero component. In Chapter 12, my aim was to construct a measure of localization for the photon, knowing from the work of other authors that a point-localized photon state is not possible.In Chapters 3, 4 and 5, our measures of classicality for the Barut-Girardello coherent states included plotting energy expectations as functions of the magnitude of the coherent state para- meter, z, position probability densities for the coherent states and the even and odd cat states, the Wigner functions for particular choices of z, the two-photon number probability distribu- tion and the linear entropy for a coherent state on a beamsplitter, position spreads to look for squeezing and the Mandel Q parameter. In Chapter 6, it was necessary to approximate an integral containing a particular Wigner rotation matrix. An approximation of general Wigner rotation matrices, at low angle, was derived and its precision evaluated numerically in Chapter 7. The exact values for the Coulomb phase shifts were used to construct the incoming wavefunction. Time reversal and a rotation were used to construct the outgoing wavefunction. The sums over l were evaluated numerically. In Chapter 10, four arguments were used against the minimum width. Comparison of the scalar amplitude and the relativistic probability amplitude for a Newton-Wigner localized state showed the root of the problem. A Lorentz transformation was applied to the scalar function to see if the “minimum” width became even smaller. A simple construction produced scalar functions with arbitrarily small widths. A relevant argument from Almeida and Jabs was included here. In Chapter 11, the algebra involving the four components of a four-vector current (at the origin) and the boost generators was derived. All of these commutators must be satisfied by a four-vector, providing a test for the claimed four-vector probability currents of other authors. In Chapter 12, field expectations were taken in a coherent state with a mean photon number of unity, built from identical single-photon states.In Chapters 3, 4 and 5, we found a mix of classical and quantum behaviour for the coherent states. In none of the systems studied did we see the high degree of classicality of the unmodified harmonic oscillator. The investigation of cat states was relevant to the fundamental problem of measurement in quantum mechanics. In Chapter 6, the use of wavepackets introduced a convergence factor into the sum over l, which diverges in the plane wave treatment. The elimination of a divergence is the most significant result of this thesis. Scattering probabilities remained finite at all angles, in disagreement with the diverging Rutherford formula, but only on small angular regions around forward scattering. Future work will investigate the measurability of the phenomena predicted here. In Chapter 10, all four arguments pointed to no minimum width for a massive particle. In Chapter 11, it was found that there can be no four-vector current density with the Newton-Wigner position probability density as the zero component, for any spin. Other authors were found to be in error when they claimed to have produced such a four-vector current density. This result strengthens the position of the Dirac current as the appropriate current for an electron. In Chapter 12, the coherent state field expectations were found to provide a meaningful measure of localization. In summary, wavepackets give a realism to the description of a scattering experiment that is absent with the use of plane waves. Phenomena not captured by the plane wave scattering amplitude, such as time delays, are calculable in the wavepacket context. Relativistic probability amplitudes provide a complete description of free particles, consistent with quantum mechanics and with special relativity. They predict agreement with the Heisenberg uncertainty principle and relativistic effects such as Lorentz contraction. The absence of relativistic probability amplitudes from standard textbooks on relativistic quantum mechanics is a serious omission.
A generalization of the canonical coherent states of a quantum harmonic oscillator has been performed by requiring the conditions of normalizability, continuity in the label, and resolution of the identity operator with a positive weight function. Relying on this approach, in the present scenario, coherent states are generalized over the canonical or finite dimensional Fock space of the harmonic oscillator. A class of generalized coherent states is determined such that the corresponding distributions of the number of excitations depart from the Poisson statistics according to combinations of stretched exponential decays, power laws, and logarithmic forms. The analysis of the Mandel parameter shows that the generalized coherent states exhibit (non-classical) sub-Poissonian or super-Poissonian statistics of the number of excitations, based on the realization of determined constraints. Mittag-Leffler and Wright generalized coherent states are analyzed as particular cases.