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Journal of Physics A Mathematical and General

Representation of quantum mechanical wavefunctions by complex valued extensions of classical canonical transformation generators

C Jung, H. Krüger

Published Nov 1, 1982• 8 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Sufficient conditions are given for the possibility to construct quantum mechanical wavefunctions by the sole knowledge of an appropriate sequence of classical canonical transformations which map a given Hamiltonian onto the new position variable. The transformation matrix element for each individual step of this sequence is given by the semiclassical limit expression of these matrix elements; it is a function of the generator of this transformation step only. The wavefunction, i.e. the transformation matrix element for the total transformation, is obtained as a multiple integral over the transformation matrix elements of the various intermediate steps. The practicability of this procedure is demonstrated by several examples. The authors consider time-independent systems with one degree of freedom.

DOI
10.1088/0305-4470/15/11/027

Related papers

Representation of quantum mechanical wavefunctions by transformation generators. II. One-dimensional time-dependent case

C Jung, H. Krüger

For pt.I see ibid., vol.16, no.11, p.3509-23 (1982). Sufficient conditions are given for constructing quantum mechanical wavefunctions by the sole knowledge of an appropriate sequence of classical canonical transformations which map a given Hamiltonian onto the new position variable. The transformation kernel for each individual step of this sequence is given by the semiclassical limit expression; it is a function of the generator of this transformation step only. The transformation kernel for the total transformation and the time-dependent wavefunction are obtained as a multiple integral over the product of the transformation kernels of the various intermediate steps. The practicability of this procedure is demonstrated by several examples. The authors consider explicitly time-dependent systems with one degree of freedom.

Journal of Physics A Mathematical and General•May 11, 1983•1 citation

Representation of quantum mechanical wavefunctions by transformation generators. III. Canonical transformations in an extended phase space

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For pt.II see ibid., vol.16, no.7, p.1397-408 (1983). It is shown how quantum mechanical wavefunctions can be obtained from a sequence of simple canonical transformations, which map the given system onto a simple reference system. The resulting wavefunctions are at least uniformly valid up to order h(cross). Under some more restrictive conditions for the individual transformation steps the authors even find the exact wavefunctions. The essential point of the paper is to enlarge the conventional coordinate-momentum phase space by taking time and energy as an additional conjugate pair. In this extended space they exploit the possibility of using transformations which intermix energy and time with position coordinates and momenta. Compared with transformations in the conventional position-momentum phase space, they gain the advantage that scattering states and bound states can be treated in a unified way. Therefore this method is appropriate for systems with mixed spectra. In addition it allows for more flexibility in choosing the individual transformation steps. The practicability of the method is demonstrated by several examples.

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Canonical transformations and non-unitary evolution

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We test the idea that transformations which, at the classical level, can be interpreted as evolutions are represented within quantum mechanics by unitary operators. To this end, we consider non-trivial canonical transformations which leave invariant the form of the Hamilton function of a system. We demonstrate that infinite families of such transformations exist for a variety of familiar conservative systems of one degree of freedom. We show how the precise form of integral equations for the stationary state wavefunctions implied by the existence of these canonical transformations can be pinned down by exploiting the algebra of the transformations and a symmetry of their generating functions. We recover several integral equations found in the literature on standard special functions of mathematical physics. We find that when one of the classical canonical transformations we consider is non-linear, its quantum implementation is non-unitary. We end with some comments on the implications of our findings for semiclassical studies and a brief discussion relevant to string theory of the generalization to scalar field theories in 1 + 1 dimensions.

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In the last few years an extensive literature has developed on linear canonical tranformations and their representation in quantum mechanics. Applications of these results have been made to clustering theory in nuclei, problems of accidental degeneracy, etc. In the present paper we wish to turn our attention to nonlinear canonical transformations. We show that by dealing with appropriate functions fα (α=1,...,2n) of xi, pi (i=1,...,n) rather than with these variables themselves, we can in principle set unambiguously the equations that determine the representation in quantum mechanics of the canonical transformation under study. This result holds when the old and new functions fα have the same spectrum. We discuss specific examples when this last condition is satisfied: nonlinear canonical transformations in the radial variable that were obtained from projection of linear ones in higher-dimensional spaces; canonical transformations that take us from one Hamiltonian to another with the same spectrum, be this one continuous or discrete; canonical transformations that relate two sets of integrals of motion (which include the Hamiltonians) when we are dealing with phase spaces of dimensions higher than 2, etc. We discuss briefly, in the concluding section, the possibility of extending our analysis to canonical tranformations that do not conserve the spectrum of the relevant operators.

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Canonical Transformations and Quantum Mechanics

M. Moshińsky

While groups of point transformations such as rotations, translations and permutations have been extensively used in quantum mechanics, we cannot say the same of the more general groups of canonical transformations. To begin with, for the latter groups we have to determine their unitary representation in appropriate spaces. But once this is achieved canonical transformations can play as important a role in quantum mechanics as point transformations. We illustrate this in relation with the harmonic oscillator in one and many dimensions and for one and many particles. We show how radial matrix elements with respect to harmonic oscillator states can be determined group theoretically both in the Schroedinger and Heisenberg pictures. We discuss the application of canonical transformations to the three body nuclear problem. We briefly outline in the concluding section applications to Coulomb problems, many body systems, accidental degeneracy, and generalized integral transforms.

SIAM Journal on Applied Mathematics•Sep 1, 1973•78 citations
Sufficient conditions are given for the possibility to construct quantum mechanical wavefunctions by the sole knowledge of an appropriate sequence of classical canonical transformations which map a given Hamiltonian onto the new position variable. The transformation matrix element for each individual step of this sequence is given by the semiclassical limit expression of these matrix elements; it is a function of the generator of this transformation step only. The wavefunction, i.e. the transformation matrix element for the total transformation, is obtained as a multiple integral over the transformation matrix elements of the various intermediate steps. The practicability of this procedure is demonstrated by several examples. The authors consider time-independent systems with one degree of freedom.
For pt.I see ibid., vol.16, no.11, p.3509-23 (1982). Sufficient conditions are given for constructing quantum mechanical wavefunctions by the sole knowledge of an appropriate sequence of classical canonical transformations which map a given Hamiltonian onto the new position variable. The transformation kernel for each individual step of this sequence is given by the semiclassical limit expression; it is a function of the generator of this transformation step only. The transformation kernel for the total transformation and the time-dependent wavefunction are obtained as a multiple integral over the product of the transformation kernels of the various intermediate steps. The practicability of this procedure is demonstrated by several examples. The authors consider explicitly time-dependent systems with one degree of freedom.
For pt.II see ibid., vol.16, no.7, p.1397-408 (1983). It is shown how quantum mechanical wavefunctions can be obtained from a sequence of simple canonical transformations, which map the given system onto a simple reference system. The resulting wavefunctions are at least uniformly valid up to order h(cross). Under some more restrictive conditions for the individual transformation steps the authors even find the exact wavefunctions. The essential point of the paper is to enlarge the conventional coordinate-momentum phase space by taking time and energy as an additional conjugate pair. In this extended space they exploit the possibility of using transformations which intermix energy and time with position coordinates and momenta. Compared with transformations in the conventional position-momentum phase space, they gain the advantage that scattering states and bound states can be treated in a unified way. Therefore this method is appropriate for systems with mixed spectra. In addition it allows for more flexibility in choosing the individual transformation steps. The practicability of the method is demonstrated by several examples.
We test the idea that transformations which, at the classical level, can be interpreted as evolutions are represented within quantum mechanics by unitary operators. To this end, we consider non-trivial canonical transformations which leave invariant the form of the Hamilton function of a system. We demonstrate that infinite families of such transformations exist for a variety of familiar conservative systems of one degree of freedom. We show how the precise form of integral equations for the stationary state wavefunctions implied by the existence of these canonical transformations can be pinned down by exploiting the algebra of the transformations and a symmetry of their generating functions. We recover several integral equations found in the literature on standard special functions of mathematical physics. We find that when one of the classical canonical transformations we consider is non-linear, its quantum implementation is non-unitary. We end with some comments on the implications of our findings for semiclassical studies and a brief discussion relevant to string theory of the generalization to scalar field theories in 1 + 1 dimensions.
Three elementary canonical transformations are shown both to have quantum implementations as finite transformations and to generate, classically and infinitesimally, the full canonical algebra. A general canonical transformation can, in principle, be realized quantum mechanically as a product of these transformations. It is found that the intertwining of two super-Hamiltonians is equivalent to there being a canonical transformation between them. A consequence is that the procedure for solving a differential equation can be viewed as a sequence of elementary canonical transformations trivializing the super-Hamiltonian associated to the equation. It is proposed that the quantum integrability of a system is equivalent to the existence of such a sequence.
In the last few years an extensive literature has developed on linear canonical tranformations and their representation in quantum mechanics. Applications of these results have been made to clustering theory in nuclei, problems of accidental degeneracy, etc. In the present paper we wish to turn our attention to nonlinear canonical transformations. We show that by dealing with appropriate functions fα (α=1,...,2n) of xi, pi (i=1,...,n) rather than with these variables themselves, we can in principle set unambiguously the equations that determine the representation in quantum mechanics of the canonical transformation under study. This result holds when the old and new functions fα have the same spectrum. We discuss specific examples when this last condition is satisfied: nonlinear canonical transformations in the radial variable that were obtained from projection of linear ones in higher-dimensional spaces; canonical transformations that take us from one Hamiltonian to another with the same spectrum, be this one continuous or discrete; canonical transformations that relate two sets of integrals of motion (which include the Hamiltonians) when we are dealing with phase spaces of dimensions higher than 2, etc. We discuss briefly, in the concluding section, the possibility of extending our analysis to canonical tranformations that do not conserve the spectrum of the relevant operators.
While groups of point transformations such as rotations, translations and permutations have been extensively used in quantum mechanics, we cannot say the same of the more general groups of canonical transformations. To begin with, for the latter groups we have to determine their unitary representation in appropriate spaces. But once this is achieved canonical transformations can play as important a role in quantum mechanics as point transformations. We illustrate this in relation with the harmonic oscillator in one and many dimensions and for one and many particles. We show how radial matrix elements with respect to harmonic oscillator states can be determined group theoretically both in the Schroedinger and Heisenberg pictures. We discuss the application of canonical transformations to the three body nuclear problem. We briefly outline in the concluding section applications to Coulomb problems, many body systems, accidental degeneracy, and generalized integral transforms.