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Journal of Mathematical Physics

Stochastic phase space kinematics of the photon

Eduard Prugovečki

Published Nov 1, 1978• 5 citations
Publisher

Abstract

A stochastic phase space description of photon states is obtained by attaching to each circular polarization mode a probability amplitude at stochastic phase space points that are frontally localized. The ensuing formalism gives rise to a probability density at such points that transforms as a scalar under proper Lorentz transformations. There also exist conserved covariant currents associated with these probability densities. The wavefunctions corresponding to all extremal stochastic phase space representations can be embedded in a single Hilbert space, and give rise there to irreducible representations of the proper Poincaré group 𝒫↑+.

DOI
10.1063/1.523603

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A stochastic phase space description of photon states is obtained by attaching to each circular polarization mode a probability amplitude at stochastic phase space points that are frontally localized. The ensuing formalism gives rise to a probability density at such points that transforms as a scalar under proper Lorentz transformations. There also exist conserved covariant currents associated with these probability densities. The wavefunctions corresponding to all extremal stochastic phase space representations can be embedded in a single Hilbert space, and give rise there to irreducible representations of the proper Poincaré group 𝒫↑+.
It is shown that to every Galilei-covariant nonrelativistic stochastic phase space representation of a system of massive particles, whose generator is rotationally invariant, corresponds a Poincaré-covariant relativistic representation sharing the same generator. The stochastic phase space probability densities of the two representations overlap in the limit of nonrelativistic velocities in the laboratory frame. The relativistic representations give rise to covariant and conserved probability currents at stochastic space–time points, in complete analogy with their nonrelativistic counterparts. This parallelism extends to the existence of a global representation of the proper Poincaré group in L2(Γ), which is reduced by each subspace of L2(Γ) spanned by the set of phase-space wavefunctions generated by some stochastic phase space representation of all pure states of the system.
I: Stochastic Quantum Mechanics.- 1 / Nonrelativistic Stochastic Quantum Mechanics.- 1.1 Stochastic Values and Stochastic Phase Spaces.- 1.2. Sharp Localizability and Systems of Imprimitivity.- 1.3. Stochastic Localizability and Systems of Co variance.- 1.4. Phase-Space Representations of the Galilei Group.- 1.5. Localizability in Nonrelativistic Stochastic Phase Spaces.- 1.6. Stochastic Phase-Space Systems of Covariance.- 1.7. Resolution Generators and Gauge Freedom in Stochastic Phase Spaces.- 1.8. Stochastic Probability Currents and Their Sharp-Point Limits.- 1.9. Propagators in Nonrelativistic Stochastic Phase Spaces.- 1.10. Quantum Stochastic Processes and Phase-Space Path Integrals.- 1.11. Semiclassical Propagators in Stochastic Phase Spaces.- 1.12. The Physical Nature and the Measurement of Proper Wave Functions and of Stochastic Position and Momentum.- Notes.- 2 / Relativistic Stochastic Quantum Mechanics.- 2.1. The Nonexistence of Relativistic Probability Currents at Sharp Space time Points.- 2.2. The Unfeasibility of Sharp Localization in Relativistic Quantum Mechanics.- 2.3. Phase-Space Representations of the Poincare Group.- 2.4. Resolution Generators and Relativistic Phase-Space Representations.- 2.5. Localizability in Relativistic Stochastic Phase Spaces.- 2.6. Systems of Covariance in Relativistic Stochastic Phase Spaces.- 2.7. Relativistic Canonical Commutation Relations and Gauge Freedom.- 2.8. Relativistically Covariant and Conserved Probability and Charge Currents.- 2.9. Propagators in Relativistic Stochastic Phase Spaces.- 2.10. Relativistic Extended Quantum Particles in External Electromagnetic Fields.- Notes.- 3 / Statistical Mechanics on Stochastic Phase Spaces.- 3.1. Phase-Space Representations of Quantum Statistical Mechanics.- 3.2. Informational Equivalence and Completeness of POV Measures.- 3.3. Generalized Stochastic Phase-Space Systems of Covariance.- 3.4. Classical and Quantum Mechanics in L2 (?N).- 3.5. Classical and Quantum Statistical Mechanics in Master Liouville Space ?(?N).- 3.6. Quantum Observables as Density Distributions on Stochastic Phase Spaces.- 3.7. Unified Formulations of Classical and Quantum Boltzmann Equations and Scattering Cross-Sections.- Notes.- II: Quantum Spacetime.- 4 / Reciprocity Theory and the Geometrization of Stochastic Quantum Mechanics.- 4.1. The Operational Foundations of Special and General Relativity.- 4.2. Coordinate Fluctuation Amplitudes for Coherent Flows of Quantum Test Particles.- 4.3. Quantum Lorentz Frames and Minkowski Quantum Spacetime.- 4.4. General Quantum Spacetimes and Stochastic Geometries.- 4.5. Reciprocity Theory and Born's Quantum Metric Operator.- 4.6. Unitary Internal Symmetries and Generalized Representations of Relativistic Canonical Commutation Relations.- Notes.- 5 / Field Theory on Quantum Spacetime.- 5.1. Free Scalar Fields on Minkowski Quantum Spacetime.- 5.2. LSZ Formalism and Causality on Quantum Spacetime.- 5.3. Lagrangian Field Theory on Quantum Spacetime.- 5.4. Dirac Bispinors and Free Fields on Quantum Spacetime.- 5.5. Photon Localizability and the Electromagnetic Field on Quantum Spacetime.- 5.6. Reciprocally Invariant Quantum Electrodynamics for Extended Fermions.- Notes.- Appendix A / Elements of Measure Theory.- Appendix B / Elements of Operator Theory on Hilbert Spaces.- Notes.- References.
Abstract Through the classic work of Planck, Einstein, and others the particle nature of the photon has been established. In the previous chapter we considered the wave field of the photon. In this chapter we will emphasize more its particle nature and discuss the extent to which a wave function with a probabilistic interpretation is an appropriate description. Once we have the concept of a particle it is natural to ask how localized the state can be. The degree of localizability of photons is of concern in the interpretation of experiments in quantum optics involving weak light sources and non-linear electromagnetic media. If a photon is not to have the structure of a composite particle its quantum states should be describable by translations, rotations, and Lorentz boosts of a particular state and possibly super positions of such states. This is equivalent to a photon being associated with an irreducible representation of the Poincaré group. A brief overview of the general theory of group representations is given in Appendix 3. We will be able to give a complete discussion of the representations of the Poincaré group pertinent to the photon. Our discussion of localizability will be quite rigorous but we will gloss over measure-theoretic niceties. For more mathematical discussions the reader can refer to the works of Mackey (1978) and Wightman (1962). We will finish the chapter by examining the implication of Poincaré invariance for the metric on the space of quantum states of the photon.
It is shown that a Dirac(-type) equation for a rank-two bi-spinor field ψph on Minkowski (configuration) spacetime furnishes a Lorentz-covariant quantum-mechanical wave equation in position-space representation for a single free photon. This equation does not encounter any of the roadblocks that have obstructed previous attempts (by various authors) to formulate a quantum-mechanical photon wave equation. In particular, it implies that the photon wave function ψph yields conserved non-negative Born-rule-type quantum probabilities and that its probability current density four-vector transforms properly under Lorentz transformations. Moreover, the eigenvalues of the pertinent photon Dirac Hamiltonian and the vector eigenvalues of the photon momentum operator yield the familiar Einstein relations E = ℏω and p = ℏk, respectively. Furthermore, these spin-1 wave modes are automatically transversal without the need of an additional constraint on the initial data. Some comments on other proposals to set up a photon wave equation are supplied as well.
The building blocks of Hudson-Parthasarathy quantum stochastic calculus start with Weyl operators on a symmetric Fock space. To realize a relativistically covariant version of the calculus we construct representations of Poincare group in terms of Weyl operators on suitably constructed, Bosonic or Fermionic based on the mass and spin of the fundamental particle, Fock spaces. We proceed by describing the orbits of homogeneous Lorentz group on R4 and build fiber bundle representations of Poincaré group induced from the stabilizer subgroups (little groups) and build the Boson Fock space of the Hilbert space formed from the sections of the bundle. Our Weyl operators are constructed on symmetric Fock space of this space and the corresponding annihilation, creation, and conservation operators are synthesized in the usual fashion in relativistic theories for space-like, time-like, and light-like fields. We achieve this by constructing transitive systems of imprimitivity (second-quantized SI), which are dynamical systems with trajectories dense in the configuration space, by induced representations. We provide the details of the field operators for the case of massive Bosons as the rest are similar in construction and indicate the ways to construct adapted processes paving way for building covariant quantum stochastic calculus.