Quantization of a Classical Model with Symmetry
Stephen D. Bartlett
Abstract
A theory of quantization is given, for a model with symmetry, as the inverse of dequantization. Dequanrization is defined as tin� process of extracting the classical mechanics of a model from its quantal counterpart. It is shown that classical dynamics is embedded in quantum dynamics as a constrained subsystem. Thus, classical mechanics is obtained from quantum mechanics without taking limits of large-dimensional representations or letting h �? 0. The embedding shows that, under appropriate conditions, a quantal density can be identified with a classical state. The results are consistent with the conjecture that an algebraic model is quantized by constructing a unitary irrep of its spectrum generating algebra. Quantization of operators not in this algebra is determined by compatibility with dequantization: this method resolves the Dirac problem in a way that avoids the ambiguities of canonical quantization. Geometric quantization is used to express the vector coherent state inducing construction as a theory of quantization. The result provides physically useful quantum models for systems with an algebraic structure and intrinsic degrees of freedom. The results are illustrated by application to the S i (3) model of a rotor. An algebraic model of a rigid rotor is presented, anti the techniques of vector coherent state quantization are applied to give a quantization, including intrinsic degrees of freedom, that is compatible with the geometric structure of the corresponding classical model. An explicit dequantization of the asymmetric top, leading to Euler�s equations, illustrates the consistency of this quantization.