Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:2404.12102 · Entropy

Functional Formulation of Quantum Theory of a Scalar Field in a Metric with Lorentzian and Euclidean Signatures

Zbigniew Haba

Published Apr 12, 2024• 3 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We study the Schrödinger equation in quantum field theory (QFT) in its functional formulation. In this approach, quantum correlation functions can be expressed as classical expectation values over (complex) stochastic processes. We obtain a stochastic representation of the Schrödinger time evolution on Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin (WKB) states by means of the Wiener integral. We discuss QFT in a flat expanding metric and in de Sitter space-time. We calculate the evolution kernel in an expanding flat metric in the real-time formulation. We discuss a field interaction in pseudoRiemannian and Riemannian metrics showing that an inversion of the signature leads to some substantial simplifications of the singularity problems in QFT.

DOI
10.3390/e26040329

Related papers

Stochastic quantum field dynamics in the proper time

Zbigniew Haba

We consider a quantization of relativistic wave equations which allows to treat quantum fields together with interacting particles at a finite time. We discuss also a dissipative interaction with the environment. We introduce a stochastic wave function whose dynamics is determined by a non-linear Schrödinger-type evolution equation in an additional time parameter. The correct classical limit requires the proper time interpretation of the time parameter. An average over the proper time leads to the conventional quantum field theory of particles which are free at an infinite space separation. We consider models with scalar and vector fields on a pseudoriemannian manifold. A quantization of the Einstein gravity in this approach is briefly discussed.

arXiv:hep-th/9810114•Oct 15, 1998•0 citations

Schrödinger-picture formulation of a scalar quantum field driven by white noise

Pei Wang

Abstract We develop a Schrödinger-picture formulation for a scalar quantum field driven by a Lorentz-invariant white-noise field. The quantum state of the system is described by a stochastic wave functional that evolves according to a stochastic Schrödinger equation. We show that the Gaussian structure of the wave functional is preserved under the stochastic evolution, allowing the dynamics to be reduced to a set of equations for the corresponding kernel functions. These kernel equations are derived and solved exactly, yielding an explicit time-dependent expression for the wave functional. The exact solution enables a direct analysis of the statistical properties of the quantum field in the space of field configurations. In particular, we show that the expectation value of the field operator obeys the same stochastic equation as the classical field obtained from the Euler–Lagrange equation of the action. We further compute the energy density from the stochastic wave functional and evaluate its ensemble average over noise realizations. The resulting energy production rate coincides with that obtained from the corresponding Lindblad equation. This result indicates that the stochastic quantum state remains well defined even though certain derived observables exhibit ultraviolet divergences associated with the white-noise idealization.

Journal of Physics A Mathematical and Theoretical•Aug 6, 2026•0 citations

Schrödinger-picture formulation of a scalar quantum field driven by white noise

Pei Wang

We develop a Schrödinger-picture formulation for a scalar quantum field driven by a Lorentz-invariant white-noise field. The quantum state of the system is described by a stochastic wave functional that evolves according to a stochastic Schrödinger equation. We show that the Gaussian structure of the wave functional is preserved under the stochastic evolution, allowing the dynamics to be reduced to a set of equations for the corresponding kernel functions. These kernel equations are derived and solved exactly, yielding an explicit time-dependent expression for the wave functional. The exact solution enables a direct analysis of the statistical properties of the quantum field in the space of field configurations. In particular, we show that the expectation value of the field operator obeys the same stochastic equation as the classical field obtained from the Euler-Lagrange equation of the action. We further compute the energy density from the stochastic wave functional and evaluate its ensemble average over noise realizations. The resulting energy production rate coincides with that obtained from the corresponding Lindblad equation. This result indicates that the stochastic quantum state remains well defined even though certain derived observables exhibit ultraviolet divergences associated with the white-noise idealization.

quant-pharXiv:2603.15704•Mar 17, 2026•0 citations

On the precanonical structure of the Schrödinger wave functional in curved space-time

Igor V. Kanatchikov

The functional Schrödinger equation in curved space-time is derived from the manifestly covariant precanonical Schrödinger equation. The Schrödinger wave functional is expressed as the trace of the multidimensional product integral of precanonical wave function restricted to a field configuration. The functional Schrödinger representation of QFT in curved space-time appears as a singular limiting case of a formulation based on precanonical quantization, which leads to a hypercomplex generalization of quantum formalism in field theory.

arXiv:1912.07401•Dec 16, 2019•0 citations

Quantum fields from real-time ensemble dynamics

Yong Zhang

Relativistic quantum field theory (QFT) is commonly formulated in terms of operators, asymptotic states, and covariant amplitudes, a perspective that tends to obscure the real-time origin of field dynamics and correlations. Here we formulate quantum fields in a real-time Schrödinger-picture framework, in which fields evolve as probability ensembles on the space of field configurations. Within this formulation, the wavefunctional $Ψ[φ,t]$ encodes a first-order, causal ensemble dynamics on configuration space. Interactions appear as couplings between configuration-space directions, while propagators arise as derived correlation structures rather than as fundamental postulates. Entanglement, scattering amplitudes, and conformal field theory correlators emerge as distinct projections of the same underlying ensemble evolution, corresponding to equal-time, asymptotic, and symmetry-organized observables. Standard operator, diagrammatic, and path-integral formulations are recovered as computational representations of this single real-time dynamics. This organization makes explicit the distinction between fundamental dynamical structure and representational tools in QFT, and clarifies the scope within which ensemble-averaged correlators account for quantum fluctuations, while also delineating the level at which questions associated with individual realizations and randomness would arise beyond the correlator-based field-theoretic description.

hep-thCross-listedarXiv:2602.04229•Feb 5, 2026•0 citations

Stochastic interpretation of Feynman path integral

Zbigniew Haba

A class of functions ℋnF was chosen, which are boundary values of holomorphic functions. It was shown that if the potential V∈ℋnF and the initial wave function ψ∈ℋnF then the solution of the Schrödinger equation is ψt∈ℋnF. The unitary evolution ψ → ψt can be expressed by an integral with respect to the Wiener measure. To each ψt∈ℋnF is associated a complex Markov process qt fulfilling stochastic Hamilton equations. The time evolution of ψ as well as multitime correlation functions of arbitrary observables in quantum mechanics take the form of expectation values with respect to qt. Some statistical and ergodic aspects of quantum mechanics resulting from the stochastic interpretation of Feynman’s sum over trajectories are discussed.

Journal of Mathematical Physics•Dec 1, 1994•13 citations
We study the Schrödinger equation in quantum field theory (QFT) in its functional formulation. In this approach, quantum correlation functions can be expressed as classical expectation values over (complex) stochastic processes. We obtain a stochastic representation of the Schrödinger time evolution on Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin (WKB) states by means of the Wiener integral. We discuss QFT in a flat expanding metric and in de Sitter space-time. We calculate the evolution kernel in an expanding flat metric in the real-time formulation. We discuss a field interaction in pseudoRiemannian and Riemannian metrics showing that an inversion of the signature leads to some substantial simplifications of the singularity problems in QFT.
We consider a quantization of relativistic wave equations which allows to treat quantum fields together with interacting particles at a finite time. We discuss also a dissipative interaction with the environment. We introduce a stochastic wave function whose dynamics is determined by a non-linear Schrödinger-type evolution equation in an additional time parameter. The correct classical limit requires the proper time interpretation of the time parameter. An average over the proper time leads to the conventional quantum field theory of particles which are free at an infinite space separation. We consider models with scalar and vector fields on a pseudoriemannian manifold. A quantization of the Einstein gravity in this approach is briefly discussed.
Abstract We develop a Schrödinger-picture formulation for a scalar quantum field driven by a Lorentz-invariant white-noise field. The quantum state of the system is described by a stochastic wave functional that evolves according to a stochastic Schrödinger equation. We show that the Gaussian structure of the wave functional is preserved under the stochastic evolution, allowing the dynamics to be reduced to a set of equations for the corresponding kernel functions. These kernel equations are derived and solved exactly, yielding an explicit time-dependent expression for the wave functional. The exact solution enables a direct analysis of the statistical properties of the quantum field in the space of field configurations. In particular, we show that the expectation value of the field operator obeys the same stochastic equation as the classical field obtained from the Euler–Lagrange equation of the action. We further compute the energy density from the stochastic wave functional and evaluate its ensemble average over noise realizations. The resulting energy production rate coincides with that obtained from the corresponding Lindblad equation. This result indicates that the stochastic quantum state remains well defined even though certain derived observables exhibit ultraviolet divergences associated with the white-noise idealization.
We develop a Schrödinger-picture formulation for a scalar quantum field driven by a Lorentz-invariant white-noise field. The quantum state of the system is described by a stochastic wave functional that evolves according to a stochastic Schrödinger equation. We show that the Gaussian structure of the wave functional is preserved under the stochastic evolution, allowing the dynamics to be reduced to a set of equations for the corresponding kernel functions. These kernel equations are derived and solved exactly, yielding an explicit time-dependent expression for the wave functional. The exact solution enables a direct analysis of the statistical properties of the quantum field in the space of field configurations. In particular, we show that the expectation value of the field operator obeys the same stochastic equation as the classical field obtained from the Euler-Lagrange equation of the action. We further compute the energy density from the stochastic wave functional and evaluate its ensemble average over noise realizations. The resulting energy production rate coincides with that obtained from the corresponding Lindblad equation. This result indicates that the stochastic quantum state remains well defined even though certain derived observables exhibit ultraviolet divergences associated with the white-noise idealization.
The functional Schrödinger equation in curved space-time is derived from the manifestly covariant precanonical Schrödinger equation. The Schrödinger wave functional is expressed as the trace of the multidimensional product integral of precanonical wave function restricted to a field configuration. The functional Schrödinger representation of QFT in curved space-time appears as a singular limiting case of a formulation based on precanonical quantization, which leads to a hypercomplex generalization of quantum formalism in field theory.
Relativistic quantum field theory (QFT) is commonly formulated in terms of operators, asymptotic states, and covariant amplitudes, a perspective that tends to obscure the real-time origin of field dynamics and correlations. Here we formulate quantum fields in a real-time Schrödinger-picture framework, in which fields evolve as probability ensembles on the space of field configurations. Within this formulation, the wavefunctional Ψ[φ,t]Ψ[φ,t]Ψ[φ,t] encodes a first-order, causal ensemble dynamics on configuration space. Interactions appear as couplings between configuration-space directions, while propagators arise as derived correlation structures rather than as fundamental postulates. Entanglement, scattering amplitudes, and conformal field theory correlators emerge as distinct projections of the same underlying ensemble evolution, corresponding to equal-time, asymptotic, and symmetry-organized observables. Standard operator, diagrammatic, and path-integral formulations are recovered as computational representations of this single real-time dynamics. This organization makes explicit the distinction between fundamental dynamical structure and representational tools in QFT, and clarifies the scope within which ensemble-averaged correlators account for quantum fluctuations, while also delineating the level at which questions associated with individual realizations and randomness would arise beyond the correlator-based field-theoretic description.
A class of functions ℋnF was chosen, which are boundary values of holomorphic functions. It was shown that if the potential V∈ℋnF and the initial wave function ψ∈ℋnF then the solution of the Schrödinger equation is ψt∈ℋnF. The unitary evolution ψ → ψt can be expressed by an integral with respect to the Wiener measure. To each ψt∈ℋnF is associated a complex Markov process qt fulfilling stochastic Hamilton equations. The time evolution of ψ as well as multitime correlation functions of arbitrary observables in quantum mechanics take the form of expectation values with respect to qt. Some statistical and ergodic aspects of quantum mechanics resulting from the stochastic interpretation of Feynman’s sum over trajectories are discussed.