Journal of Mathematical Physics

The quantum harmonic oscillator revisited: A new look from stochastic electrodynamics

Luis de la Peña, Ana Marı́a Cetto

Published Mar 1, 1979• 46 citations

Abstract

We apply the theory of stochastic electrodynamics to the study of the (nonrelativistic) harmonic oscillator by using the Fokker–Planck method. It is demonstrated that the equilibrium distribution in phase space is exactly equal to that given by quantum statistical mechanics, i.e., the corresponding Wigner distribution, and that analysis of this distribution by means of a decomposition in terms of canonical densities leads automatically to the usual description of quantum mechanics in terms of excited states. All fundamental equations of quantum mechanics are recovered as aprproximations to zero order in the radiation terms; the first-order terms lead to the radiative corrections predicted by quantum electrodynamics, namely, the decay of states and the Lamb shift of the energy levels. The necessary differences between both treatments of the oscillator and their implications are briefly discussed.

DOI: 10.1063/1.524098

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