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arXiv:2304.01486 · Journal of Physics A Mathematical and Theoretical

Algebraic discrete quantum harmonic oscillator with dynamic resolution scaling

Michael Q. May, Hong Qin

Published Sep 13, 2024• 0 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Abstract We develop an algebraic formulation for the discrete quantum harmonic oscillator (DQHO) from the Hamiltonian for two, coupled QHOs and provide a physical picture for the Kravchuk function eigenstates of the oscillator. The familiar su ( 2 ) structure of the coupled QHO Hamiltonian divides its spectrum into sets corresponding to the DQHO at different resolutions. In addition to energy ladder operators, the formulation allows for the introduction of resolution ladder operators connecting all DQHOs with different resolutions, thus enabling the dynamic scaling of the resolution of finite degree-of-freedom quantum simulations. The coherent state of the DQHO is constructed, and its expected position is proven to oscillate as a classical harmonic oscillator. The DQHO coherent state recovers that of the quantum harmonic oscillator at large resolution.

DOI
10.1088/1751-8121/ad7ae5

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Abstract We develop an algebraic formulation for the discrete quantum harmonic oscillator (DQHO) from the Hamiltonian for two, coupled QHOs and provide a physical picture for the Kravchuk function eigenstates of the oscillator. The familiar su ( 2 ) structure of the coupled QHO Hamiltonian divides its spectrum into sets corresponding to the DQHO at different resolutions. In addition to energy ladder operators, the formulation allows for the introduction of resolution ladder operators connecting all DQHOs with different resolutions, thus enabling the dynamic scaling of the resolution of finite degree-of-freedom quantum simulations. The coherent state of the DQHO is constructed, and its expected position is proven to oscillate as a classical harmonic oscillator. The DQHO coherent state recovers that of the quantum harmonic oscillator at large resolution.
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This chapter examines the linear harmonic oscillator in the energy (Fock) representation, emphasizing its algebraic structure and spectral properties. It is shown that the energy spectrum is discrete and bounded from below. The energy raising and lowering (ladder) operators are introduced, and the energy eigenvalues are derived. The eigenstates are constructed algebraically from the ground state by repeated application of the raising operator, forming the Fock basis. These energy eigenstates are then transformed into the coordinate representation, where the corresponding wavefunctions are expressed in terms of Hermite polynomials. This establishes a connection between the algebraic and coordinate formulations of the quantum harmonic oscillator. Metadata/Keywords: linear harmonic oscillator, Fock representation, ladder operators, energy spectrum, energy eigenstates, ground state, Hermite polynomials, raising and lowering operators
The purpose of this work is to introduce, in a simple, intuitive way, the coherent and squeezed states of the quantum harmonic oscillator (QHO), through a series of exercises, which are solved in detail. Starting from the application of a spatial translation to the ground state of the QHO, we introduce the spatial and momentum translations, focusing on their application to the QHO, which leads us to the displacement operator. Next, we introduce the coherent states and examine their basic aspects. We then proceed to give a simple and purely intuitive introduction to the squeezed states and we conclude by identifying the coherent states as states of minimum energy expectation value compared to the respective squeezed states. The reader is assumed to have a basic knowledge of the postulates and the mathematical formalism of quantum mechanics, including the Dirac notation and the ladder operator method of the QHO.
This thesis investigates the quantum harmonic oscillator (QHO) through the path integral formulation. It begins with a review of classical dynamics and the standard operator approach to establish a foundational framework. The core of the work involves the systematic construction and evaluation of the QHO propagator, demonstrating how the transition amplitude naturally separates into a classical contribution and quantum fluctuations. Finally, the discussion extends to systems with infinite degrees of freedom, illustrating how the oscillator structure serves as a bridge to quantum field theory and the emergence of second quantization.
The well known Kravchuk formalism of the harmonic oscillator obtained from the direct discretization method is shown to be a new way of formulating discrete quantum phase space. It is shown that the Kravchuk oscillator Hamiltonian has a well defined unitary canonical partner which we identify with the quantum phase of the Kravchuk oscillator. The generalized discrete Wigner function formalism based on the action and angle variables is applied to the Kravchuk oscillator and its continuous limit is examined.
Quantum mechanics of a linear harmonic oscillator in a finite-dimensional Hilbert space satisfying the correct equations of motion is studied. The connections to Weyl's formulation of the algebra of bounded unitary operators in finite space as well as to a truncated quantized linear harmonic oscillator are discussed. It is pointed out that the discrete Fourier transformation (DFT) plays a central role in determining the actual form of the position, the momentum, the number and the Hamiltonian operators. The explicit form of these operators in different bases is exhibited for some low values of the dimension of the Hilbert space. In this formulation, it is shown that the Hamiltonian is indeed the logarithm of the DFT and that by modifying Weyl's framework to include position and momentum operators with non-uniformly spaced spectra the equations of motion are satisfied.