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Coherent states with classical motion: from an analytic method complementary to group theory

Michael Martin Nieto

Published Jan 1, 1982• 4 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

From the motivation of Schroedinger, that of finding states which follow the motion which a classical particle would have in a given potential, we discuss generalizations of the coherent states of the harmonic oscillator. We focus on a method which is the analytic complement to the group theory point of view. It uses a minimum uncertainty formalism as its basis. We discuss the properties and time evolution of these states, always keeping in mind the desire to find quantum states which follow the classical motion.

Related papers

Coherent states for general potentials. I. Formalism

Michael Martin Nieto, L. M. Simmons

We first review the properties of the harmonic-oscillator coherent states which can be equivalently defined as (a) a specific subset of the $x\ensuremath{-}p$ minimum-uncertainty states, (b) eigenstates of the annihilation operator, or (c) states created by a certain unitary exponential displacement operator. Then we present a new method for finding coherent states for particles in general potentials. Its basis is the desire to find those states which most nearly follow the classical motion, but it is most nearly a generalization of the minimum-uncertainty method. The properties of these states are discussed in detail. Next we show that the annihilation operator and displacement operator methods, as heretofore defined, cannot be applied to general potentials (whose eigenvalues are not equally spaced). We define a generalization of these methods but show that the states so defined are not, in general, equivalent to the minimum-uncertainty coherent states. We discuss a number of properties of our coherent states and the procedures we have used.

Physical review. D. Particles, fields, gravitation, and cosmology/Physical review. D. Particles and fields•Sep 15, 1979•210 citations

Coherent states for general potentials. II. Confining one-dimensional examples

Michael Martin Nieto, L. M. Simmons

We apply our minimum-uncertainty coherent-states formalism, which is physically motivated by the classical motion, to two confining one-dimensional systems: the harmonic oscillator with centripetal barrier and the symmetric P\"oschl-Teller potentials. The minimum-uncertainty coherent states are discussed in great detail, and the connections to annihilation-operator coherent states and displacement-operator coherent states are given. The first system discussed provides an excellent bridge between the harmonic oscillator and more general potentials because, even though it is a nonharmonic potential, its energy eigenvalues are equally spaced. Thus, its coherent states have many, but not all, of the properties of the harmonic-oscillator coherent states.

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Coherent states for the time-dependent harmonic oscillator

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Generalized coherent states for the Pöschl-Teller potential and a classical limit

M. G. A. Crawford, Edward R. Vrscay

Coherent states in the harmonic oscillator may be defined in several equivalent ways. One definition describes coherent states as special states satisfying a minimum-uncertainty requirement in position and momentum spaces. This definition is generalized for other potentials according to a method developed by Nieto et al. [Phys. Rev. D 20, 1321 (1979)] and is herein applied to the P\"oschl-Teller potential. A classical limit based on the harmonic-oscillator coherent-state classical limit is then developed and applied to the P\"oschl-Teller minimum-uncertainty states. In this limit, classical behavior may be obtained from these quantum states. Together with a completeness argument for the generalized coherent states, this result provides insight into quantum classical correspondence through the statistical interpretation of quantum mechanics.

Physical Review A•Jan 1, 1998•18 citations

Coherent states of a free particle from the coherent states of the harmonic oscillator

Jasel Berra–Montiel

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.

Revista Mexicana de Física•Jan 1, 2026•0 citations

Defining coherent states: why must they be eigenstates of the annihilation operator?

Juan Pablo Paz, Augusto J. Roncaglia

This is a pedagogical paper where we present a physically motivated approach to introduce the coherent states of a harmonic oscillator from which it is simple to rigorously derive their mathematical definition. We do this in two different ways that turn out to be equivalent but emphasize two related but different aspects of classicality. First, we analyze which are the quantum states that are the closest one can get to a point in phase space and demonstrate the validity of the following theorem: (i) The product of the uncertainty in position and that of momentum saturates the bound imposed by Heisenberg uncertainty relations for all times if and only if the state is an eigenstate of the annihilation operator. Second, we analyze the way in which the difference between the expectation value of the energy and the energy associated with the expectation values of position and momentum depends on the state, and show the validity of the following theorem (ii) the difference between the expectation value of the energy and the energy associated with the expectation values is minimal if and only if the state is an eigenstate of the annihilation operator. We also show that the reason why coherent states are chosen as the most classical ones by the decoherence process induced by coupling the particle to an environment in the standard Quantum Brownian motion model, is precisely due to the validity of the two above theorems.

arXiv:2410.16483•Oct 21, 2024•0 citations
From the motivation of Schroedinger, that of finding states which follow the motion which a classical particle would have in a given potential, we discuss generalizations of the coherent states of the harmonic oscillator. We focus on a method which is the analytic complement to the group theory point of view. It uses a minimum uncertainty formalism as its basis. We discuss the properties and time evolution of these states, always keeping in mind the desire to find quantum states which follow the classical motion.
We first review the properties of the harmonic-oscillator coherent states which can be equivalently defined as (a) a specific subset of the $x\ensuremath{-}p$ minimum-uncertainty states, (b) eigenstates of the annihilation operator, or (c) states created by a certain unitary exponential displacement operator. Then we present a new method for finding coherent states for particles in general potentials. Its basis is the desire to find those states which most nearly follow the classical motion, but it is most nearly a generalization of the minimum-uncertainty method. The properties of these states are discussed in detail. Next we show that the annihilation operator and displacement operator methods, as heretofore defined, cannot be applied to general potentials (whose eigenvalues are not equally spaced). We define a generalization of these methods but show that the states so defined are not, in general, equivalent to the minimum-uncertainty coherent states. We discuss a number of properties of our coherent states and the procedures we have used.
We apply our minimum-uncertainty coherent-states formalism, which is physically motivated by the classical motion, to two confining one-dimensional systems: the harmonic oscillator with centripetal barrier and the symmetric P\"oschl-Teller potentials. The minimum-uncertainty coherent states are discussed in great detail, and the connections to annihilation-operator coherent states and displacement-operator coherent states are given. The first system discussed provides an excellent bridge between the harmonic oscillator and more general potentials because, even though it is a nonharmonic potential, its energy eigenvalues are equally spaced. Thus, its coherent states have many, but not all, of the properties of the harmonic-oscillator coherent states.
Coherent states in the harmonic oscillator may be defined in several equivalent ways. One definition describes coherent states as special states satisfying a minimum-uncertainty requirement in position and momentum spaces. This definition is generalized for other potentials according to a method developed by Nieto et al. [Phys. Rev. D 20, 1321 (1979)] and is herein applied to the P\"oschl-Teller potential. A classical limit based on the harmonic-oscillator coherent-state classical limit is then developed and applied to the P\"oschl-Teller minimum-uncertainty states. In this limit, classical behavior may be obtained from these quantum states. Together with a completeness argument for the generalized coherent states, this result provides insight into quantum classical correspondence through the statistical interpretation of quantum mechanics.
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.
This is a pedagogical paper where we present a physically motivated approach to introduce the coherent states of a harmonic oscillator from which it is simple to rigorously derive their mathematical definition. We do this in two different ways that turn out to be equivalent but emphasize two related but different aspects of classicality. First, we analyze which are the quantum states that are the closest one can get to a point in phase space and demonstrate the validity of the following theorem: (i) The product of the uncertainty in position and that of momentum saturates the bound imposed by Heisenberg uncertainty relations for all times if and only if the state is an eigenstate of the annihilation operator. Second, we analyze the way in which the difference between the expectation value of the energy and the energy associated with the expectation values of position and momentum depends on the state, and show the validity of the following theorem (ii) the difference between the expectation value of the energy and the energy associated with the expectation values is minimal if and only if the state is an eigenstate of the annihilation operator. We also show that the reason why coherent states are chosen as the most classical ones by the decoherence process induced by coupling the particle to an environment in the standard Quantum Brownian motion model, is precisely due to the validity of the two above theorems.