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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Schrödinger equation revisited

Wolfgang P. Schleich, Daniel M. Greenberger, Donald H. Kobe, Marlan O. Scully

Published Mar 18, 2013• 57 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The time-dependent Schrödinger equation is a cornerstone of quantum physics and governs all phenomena of the microscopic world. However, despite its importance, its origin is still not widely appreciated and properly understood. We obtain the Schrödinger equation from a mathematical identity by a slight generalization of the formulation of classical statistical mechanics based on the Hamilton-Jacobi equation. This approach brings out most clearly the fact that the linearity of quantum mechanics is intimately connected to the strong coupling between the amplitude and phase of a quantum wave.

DOI
10.1073/pnas.1302475110

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The time-dependent Schrödinger equation is a cornerstone of quantum physics and governs all phenomena of the microscopic world. However, despite its importance, its origin is still not widely appreciated and properly understood. We obtain the Schrödinger equation from a mathematical identity by a slight generalization of the formulation of classical statistical mechanics based on the Hamilton-Jacobi equation. This approach brings out most clearly the fact that the linearity of quantum mechanics is intimately connected to the strong coupling between the amplitude and phase of a quantum wave.
Physics and the natural world have been studied by humans since the first person wondered ‘Why?’ The Schrödinger equation is important because it attempts to describe a relatively new (to us) and unfamiliar part of our universe, behavior of subatomic particles, and helps modern scientists uncover secrets that have proven useful in technology and explaining our origins. The time dependent Schrödinger equation can be derived from various starting points in Classical such as the equation of a wave, the time independent Schrödinger equation, and Hamilton-Jacobi equations. Why Quantum mechanics exists, useful applications, and cases when it fails or is inaccurate are often not understood or even easy to explain to people uninvolved in physical studies. Not only do I hope for someone to be more educated on the topic after encountering this project, but I, myself, have learned a great deal more about the advanced topics I am interested in. Class: Math 488 – Senior Capstone
The time dependent Schrodinger equation is frequently 'derived' by postulating the energy E → i ℏ(∂/∂ t ) and momentum → (ℏ/ i ) operator relations. In the present paper we review the quantum field theoretic route to the Schrodinger wave equation which treats time and space as parameters, not operators. Furthermore, we recall that a classical (nonlinear) wave equation can be derived from the classical action via Hamiltonian-Jacobi theory. By requiring the wave equation to be linear we again arrive at the Schrodinger equation, without postulating operator relations. The underlying philosophy is operational: namely 'a particle is what a particle detector detects.' This leads us to a useful physical picture combining the wave (field) and particle paradigms which points the way to the time-dependent Schrodinger equation.
It is shown how the time-dependent Schrödinger equation may be simply derived from the dynamical postulate of Feynman's path integral formulation of quantum mechanics and the Hamilton–Jacobi equation of classical mechanics. Schrödinger's own published derivations of quantum wave equations, the first of which was also based on the Hamilton–Jacobi equation, are also reviewed. The derivation of the time-dependent equation is based on an a priori assumption equivalent to Feynman's dynamical postulate. de Broglie's concepts of ‘matter waves’ and their phase and group velocities are also critically discussed.
This paper focuses on the principle of time dependent Schrodinger equation (TDSE) which simplified so many reviewed ideas, class room teaching, research ideologies and personal study meant for advanced knowledge. In this research work,  the enlightenment of the basic concept of Schrodinger wave equation to improve knowledge about simple ways for mathematical understanding in deriving TDSE using different technique in more comprehensive approach. The research shows clearly that TDSE can be derived using time independent equation, wave mechanics, classical & Hamilton-Jacobi’s equations. Different methods and ways by different researchers/scholars have been used in the past. In this paper, we review the quantum field theoretic route to the Schrodinger wave equation which treats time and space as parameters, not operators. Furthermore, we recall that a classical (nonlinear) wave equation can be derived from the classical action via Hamiltonian-Jacobi theory. By requiring the wave equation to be linear we again arrive at the Schrodinger equation, without postulating operator relations. The underlying philosophy is operational. Surely, a particle is what a particle detector detects. This leads us to a useful physical picture combining the wave (field) and particle paradigms which points the way to the time-dependent Schrodinger equation. However, the result provides a comprehensive well derived derivation, derived using various approaches, which would make this research a unique one from different areas of specializations.
Time-dependent Schroedinger equation represents the basis of any quantum-theoretical approach. The question concerning its proper content in comparison to the classical physics has not been, however, fully answered until now. It will be shown that there is one-to-one physical correspondence between basic solutions (represented always by one Hamiltonian eigenfunction only) and classical ones, as the non-zero quantum potential has not any physical sense, representing only the "numerical" difference between Hamilton principal function and the phase of corresponding wave function in the case of non-inertial motion. Possible interpretation of superposition solutions will be then discussed in the light of this fact. And also different interpretation alternatives of the quantum-mechanical model will be newly analyzed and new attitude to them will be reasoned.
The time-dependent Schrödinger equation is a cornerstone of quantum physics and governs all phenomena of the microscopic world. However, despite its importance, its origin is still not widely appreciated and properly understood. The quantization of the forced harmonic oscillator is studied with the quantum variable (x\mathit{x}x , v^\hat{v}v^) , with the commutation relation [x\mathit{x}x , v^\hat{v}v^] = iℏ\mathit{i}\hbariℏ/m\mathit{m}m , and using a Schrödinger’s like equation on these variable, and associating a linear operator to a constant of motion K\mathit{K}K(x,v,t\mathit{x, v, t}x,v,t) of the classical system, The comparison with the quantization in the space (x,p\mathit{x, p}x,p) is done with the usual Schrödinger’s equation for the Hamiltonian H\mathit{H}H(x,p,t\mathit{x, p, t}x,p,t), and with the commutation relation [x\mathit{x}x , p^\hat{p}p^​] = iℏ\mathit{i}\hbariℏ. It is found that for the non-resonant case, both forms of quantization bring about the same result. The difference means that the H-approach case brings about more complex behavior in the quantum dynamics than the K-approach case, and that the H-approach case losses more information than the K-approach case.However, for the resonant case, both forms of quantization are different, and the probability for the system to be in the exited state for the (x\mathit{x}x , v^\hat{v}v^) quantization has fewer oscillations than the (x\mathit{x}x , p^\hat{p}p^​) quantization, the average energy of the system is higher in (x\mathit{x}x , p^\hat{p}p^​) quantization than on the (x\mathit{x}x , v^\hat{v}v^) quantization, and the Boltzmann- Shannon entropy on the (x\mathit{x}x , p^\hat{p}p^​) quantization is higher than on the (x\mathit{x}x , v^\hat{v}v^) quantization. The parameter does not appear to be suitable for experimental measurement because the variation in the average value of the energy is quite modest. Entropy is a nice parameter to investigate experimentally because it differs significantly.