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Physical Review A

Quantum phase space points for Wigner functions in finite-dimensional spaces

Alfredo Luis

Published May 20, 2004• 16 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We introduce quantum states associated with single phase space points in the Wigner formalism for finite-dimensional spaces. We consider both continuous and discrete Wigner functions. This analysis provides a procedure for a direct practical observation of the Wigner functions for states and transformations without inversion formulas.
DOI
10.1103/physreva.69.052112

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A phase-space approach to finite-dimensional systems is developed from basic principles. For a system describable by a Hilbert space of dimension d we define a one-to-one correspondence between operators and functions on a discrete and finite phase space with points valid for any dimension d . The properties fulfilled by this correspondence and its uniqueness are examined. This formalism is applied to the number difference and phase difference of a two-mode field. This case is compared with the marginal distribution for these variables arising from a two-mode Wigner function for number and phase.
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We study the Wigner Transform (WT) in the case of an infinite-dimensional continuous Hilbert space and a discrete Hilbert space of finite prime-number dimensionality NNN. In the discrete case we define a family of WT's as a function of a phase parameter. It is only for a specific value of the parameter that all the properties we have examined, including the matrix elements of the phase-space operator PPP and the relation between Wigner's function and Kirkwood's distribution, have a parallel in both types of Hilbert space. This close parallel was found constructing the two WT's in terms of a complete set of operators having similar properties, in the sense that the position and momentum operators appear disentangled in the two situations. We give a geometric interpretation of the properties involving the phase-space operator in the discrete case.
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