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

American Journal of Physics

Why are the energy levels of the quantum harmonic oscillator equally spaced?

Antoine Royer

Published Nov 1, 1996• 5 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The quantum harmonic oscillator has the unique property that its energy levels are equally spaced. This property is connected, via the Wigner function, to the circular symmetry of the Hamiltonian in phase space, hence to the close relation between harmonic oscillations and rotations, very familiar at the classical level. We here have an example of a spectral regularity which is due to a symmetry in phase space, rather than in configuration space, as is more usual.

DOI
10.1119/1.18364

Related papers

The equally spaced energy levels of the quantum harmonic oscillator revisited: a back-to-front reconstruction of an n -body Hamiltonian

T. R. Robinson

Abstract The ‘back-to-front’ derivation of the properties of the quantum harmonic oscillator (QHO), starting with its equally spaced energy levels, is re-examined. A new derivation that exploits the natural rotational symmetry of the QHO is proposed. The new approach allows the ‘back-to-front’ idea to be extended further by showing that it is possible to derive the Hamiltonian of a system of particles from the starting point that the population is represented by a natural number. This involves the symmetry properties of phasors and Schwinger's theory of angular momentum. The analysis is also extended to multi-mode bosonic systems and fermionic systems. It is suggested that these results offer an alternative way to formulate physics, based on discreteness.

European Journal of Physics•Aug 31, 2017•2 citations

A back-to-front derivation: the equal spacing of quantum levels is a proof of simple harmonic oscillator physics

Davıd L. Andrews, Luciana C. Dávila Romero

The dynamical behaviour of simple harmonic motion can be found in numerous natural phenomena. Within the quantum realm of atomic, molecular and optical systems, two main features are associated with harmonic oscillations: a finite ground-state energy and equally spaced quantum energy levels. Here it is shown that there is in fact a one-to-one mapping between the provision of equally spaced quantum energy levels and simple harmonic motion. The analysis establishes that the Hamiltonian of any system featuring quantized energy levels in an evenly spaced, infinite set must have a quadratic dependence on a pair of canonically conjugate variables. Moreover, specific physical inferences can be drawn. For example, exploiting this 'back-to-front' derivation, and based on the known existence of photons, it can be proved that an electromagnetic energy density is quadratic in both the electric and magnetic fields.

European Journal of Physics•Oct 6, 2009•9 citations

Quantum Harmonic Oscillator

Z. Ficek

The study of quantum properties of the harmonic oscillator is important in physics as many real-world systems oscillate harmonically. Motion of systems in a confined space is often modeled as being a quantized harmonic motion or, in first instance, is approximated by a harmonic motion. This chapter helps the reader to solve the equation employing an algebraic operator technique, which is based on the Dirac notation. This approach has several definite advantages and exploits the commutation relations among the operators involved and their properties. The chapter transforms the stationary Schrodinger equation into a second-order differential equation and finds the solution to the equation with the aid of a more advanced mathematical technique that involves special functions. The energy of a harmonic oscillator is quantized, with the sequence of values. The difference in energy between adjacent energy levels is equal to the energy of a single photon, ħω.

•Mar 3, 2017•1 citation

Harmonic Oscillators

William J. Mullin

The first application of quantum ideas to a system with a nonuniform potential energy is to the harmonic oscillator: a pendulum, or a mass on a spring. The result is a quantization of energy with equally spaced energy levels. The wave function is localized in the potential well but can do quantum tunneling beyond the turning points into classically forbidden regions. A wave function can be a negative quantity, but the related position probability is always positive. The wave function shows the particle is not in any single place; in a sense it is in many places simultaneously. The fact that the lowest energy quantum state does not vanish is an example of zero-point energy. States of very high energy show a strong analogy to classical oscillator behavior, an example of the Bohr correspondence principle.

Oxford University Press eBooks•Mar 16, 2017•0 citations

Meixner Oscillators

Natig M. Atakishiyev, E. I. Jafarov, Шакир Мамед Нагиев +1 more

Meixner oscillators have a ground state and an `energy' spectrum that is equally spaced; they are a two-parameter family of models that satisfy a Hamiltonian equation with a {\it difference} operator. Meixner oscillators include as limits and particular cases the Charlier, Kravchuk and Hermite (common quantum-mechanical) harmonic oscillators. By the Sommerfeld-Watson transformation they are also related with a relativistic model of the linear harmonic oscillator, built in terms of the Meixner-Pollaczek polynomials, and their continuous weight function. We construct explicitly the corresponding coherent states with the dynamical symmetry group Sp(2,$\Re$). The reproducing kernel for the wavefunctions of these models is also found.

arXiv:math-ph/9807035•Jul 31, 1998•25 citations

Quantized Energy Distributions for the Harmonic Oscillator

Bayard Rankin

An earlier study of quantum-mechanical time has suggested that, from the quantum-theoretic point of view, time is a random variable. The present work explores how such a description of time can be used to bring greater detail into the analysis of the one-dimensional harmonic oscillator. Specifically, the classical equations for harmonic motion are used as a point transformation between phase space and time-energy space, permitting probability distributions in the two spaces to be different representations of the same thing. The familiar energy-quantization hypothesis is supplemented with the hypothesis that quantized energy values are means (averages) of energy distributions characteristic of each energy state. With the probability distribution of time determined from the previously cited study, the desired quantized energy distributions follow from the requirements: (1) that they should be normalized, non-negative, and with means equal to the quantized energy values; (2) that the equivalent representation of distribution in position-momentum space should have marginal densities that are proportional (except near the origin) to the densities in position and momentum, ${|\ensuremath{\phi}(q)|}^{2}$ and ${|\ensuremath{\psi}(p)|}^{2}$, which are postulated in quantum theory. Requirement (2) is a weakening of the Born postulate. In the time-energy space, the probability distributions exclude energies smaller than the mode (energy value with maximum probability). In position-momentum space this exclusion requirement becomes the dynamical restriction: $\frac{{q}^{2}m{\ensuremath{\omega}}^{2}}{2}+\frac{{p}^{2}}{2m}\ensuremath{\ge}\frac{{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}_{n}\ensuremath{\hbar}\ensuremath{\omega}}{2}$, where, for the first three energy states, ${\ensuremath{\Lambda}}_{0}=0$, ${\ensuremath{\Lambda}}_{1}=\frac{3}{2}$, ${\ensuremath{\Lambda}}_{2}=2+\ensuremath{\surd}\frac{3}{2}$. In general terms it is thus shown that the quantized harmonic oscillator can be described as a statistical ensemble of classical oscillators. Some comparisons with work on phase-space formulations of quantum mechanics (especially with the work of Wigner) are made and some aspects of the theory that should submit to experimental verification are pointed out.

Physical Review•Jan 28, 1966•2 citations
The quantum harmonic oscillator has the unique property that its energy levels are equally spaced. This property is connected, via the Wigner function, to the circular symmetry of the Hamiltonian in phase space, hence to the close relation between harmonic oscillations and rotations, very familiar at the classical level. We here have an example of a spectral regularity which is due to a symmetry in phase space, rather than in configuration space, as is more usual.
Abstract The ‘back-to-front’ derivation of the properties of the quantum harmonic oscillator (QHO), starting with its equally spaced energy levels, is re-examined. A new derivation that exploits the natural rotational symmetry of the QHO is proposed. The new approach allows the ‘back-to-front’ idea to be extended further by showing that it is possible to derive the Hamiltonian of a system of particles from the starting point that the population is represented by a natural number. This involves the symmetry properties of phasors and Schwinger's theory of angular momentum. The analysis is also extended to multi-mode bosonic systems and fermionic systems. It is suggested that these results offer an alternative way to formulate physics, based on discreteness.
The dynamical behaviour of simple harmonic motion can be found in numerous natural phenomena. Within the quantum realm of atomic, molecular and optical systems, two main features are associated with harmonic oscillations: a finite ground-state energy and equally spaced quantum energy levels. Here it is shown that there is in fact a one-to-one mapping between the provision of equally spaced quantum energy levels and simple harmonic motion. The analysis establishes that the Hamiltonian of any system featuring quantized energy levels in an evenly spaced, infinite set must have a quadratic dependence on a pair of canonically conjugate variables. Moreover, specific physical inferences can be drawn. For example, exploiting this 'back-to-front' derivation, and based on the known existence of photons, it can be proved that an electromagnetic energy density is quadratic in both the electric and magnetic fields.
The study of quantum properties of the harmonic oscillator is important in physics as many real-world systems oscillate harmonically. Motion of systems in a confined space is often modeled as being a quantized harmonic motion or, in first instance, is approximated by a harmonic motion. This chapter helps the reader to solve the equation employing an algebraic operator technique, which is based on the Dirac notation. This approach has several definite advantages and exploits the commutation relations among the operators involved and their properties. The chapter transforms the stationary Schrodinger equation into a second-order differential equation and finds the solution to the equation with the aid of a more advanced mathematical technique that involves special functions. The energy of a harmonic oscillator is quantized, with the sequence of values. The difference in energy between adjacent energy levels is equal to the energy of a single photon, ħω.
The first application of quantum ideas to a system with a nonuniform potential energy is to the harmonic oscillator: a pendulum, or a mass on a spring. The result is a quantization of energy with equally spaced energy levels. The wave function is localized in the potential well but can do quantum tunneling beyond the turning points into classically forbidden regions. A wave function can be a negative quantity, but the related position probability is always positive. The wave function shows the particle is not in any single place; in a sense it is in many places simultaneously. The fact that the lowest energy quantum state does not vanish is an example of zero-point energy. States of very high energy show a strong analogy to classical oscillator behavior, an example of the Bohr correspondence principle.
Meixner oscillators have a ground state and an `energy' spectrum that is equally spaced; they are a two-parameter family of models that satisfy a Hamiltonian equation with a {\it difference} operator. Meixner oscillators include as limits and particular cases the Charlier, Kravchuk and Hermite (common quantum-mechanical) harmonic oscillators. By the Sommerfeld-Watson transformation they are also related with a relativistic model of the linear harmonic oscillator, built in terms of the Meixner-Pollaczek polynomials, and their continuous weight function. We construct explicitly the corresponding coherent states with the dynamical symmetry group Sp(2,ℜ\Reℜ). The reproducing kernel for the wavefunctions of these models is also found.
An earlier study of quantum-mechanical time has suggested that, from the quantum-theoretic point of view, time is a random variable. The present work explores how such a description of time can be used to bring greater detail into the analysis of the one-dimensional harmonic oscillator. Specifically, the classical equations for harmonic motion are used as a point transformation between phase space and time-energy space, permitting probability distributions in the two spaces to be different representations of the same thing. The familiar energy-quantization hypothesis is supplemented with the hypothesis that quantized energy values are means (averages) of energy distributions characteristic of each energy state. With the probability distribution of time determined from the previously cited study, the desired quantized energy distributions follow from the requirements: (1) that they should be normalized, non-negative, and with means equal to the quantized energy values; (2) that the equivalent representation of distribution in position-momentum space should have marginal densities that are proportional (except near the origin) to the densities in position and momentum, ${|\ensuremath{\phi}(q)|}^{2}$ and ${|\ensuremath{\psi}(p)|}^{2}$, which are postulated in quantum theory. Requirement (2) is a weakening of the Born postulate. In the time-energy space, the probability distributions exclude energies smaller than the mode (energy value with maximum probability). In position-momentum space this exclusion requirement becomes the dynamical restriction: $\frac{{q}^{2}m{\ensuremath{\omega}}^{2}}{2}+\frac{{p}^{2}}{2m}\ensuremath{\ge}\frac{{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}_{n}\ensuremath{\hbar}\ensuremath{\omega}}{2}$, where, for the first three energy states, ${\ensuremath{\Lambda}}_{0}=0$, ${\ensuremath{\Lambda}}_{1}=\frac{3}{2}$, ${\ensuremath{\Lambda}}_{2}=2+\ensuremath{\surd}\frac{3}{2}$. In general terms it is thus shown that the quantized harmonic oscillator can be described as a statistical ensemble of classical oscillators. Some comparisons with work on phase-space formulations of quantum mechanics (especially with the work of Wigner) are made and some aspects of the theory that should submit to experimental verification are pointed out.