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American Journal of Physics

Classical limit of quantum mechanics (electron in a magnetic field)

E. G. Peter Rowe

Published Dec 1, 1991• 9 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Different classical limits of quantum mechanics are discussed in the setting of a simple example, the two-dimensional motion of a spinless electron in a uniform magnetic field. Both the time-independent energy eigenstates and the time-dependent states developing from initial localized states are exactly solvable. In the first example, an ℏ→0 limit with fixed energy leads to a simple ensemble of classical orbits. In the second, ℏ→0 with fixed initial mean position and momentum leads to a unique classical orbit.

DOI
10.1119/1.16622

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Different classical limits of quantum mechanics are discussed in the setting of a simple example, the two-dimensional motion of a spinless electron in a uniform magnetic field. Both the time-independent energy eigenstates and the time-dependent states developing from initial localized states are exactly solvable. In the first example, an ℏ→0 limit with fixed energy leads to a simple ensemble of classical orbits. In the second, ℏ→0 with fixed initial mean position and momentum leads to a unique classical orbit.
The classical limit of quantum mechanics is usually discussed in terms of Ehrenfest's theorem, which states that, for a sufficiently narrow wave packet, the mean position in the quantum state will follow a classical trajectory. We show, however, that that criterion is neither necessary nor sufficient to identify the classical regime. Generally speaking, the classical limit of a quantum state is not a single classical orbit, but an ensemble of orbits. The failure of the mean position in the quantum state to follow a classical orbit often merely reflects the fact that the centroid of a classical ensemble need not follow a classical orbit. A quantum state may behave essentially classically, even when Ehrenfest's theorem does not apply, if it yields agreement with the results calculated from the Liouville equation for a classical ensemble. We illustrate this fact with examples that include both regular and chaotic classical motions.
We analyze the influence of relativistic effects on the minimum evolution time between two orthogonal states of a quantum system. Defining the initial state as a homogeneous superposition between two Hamiltonian eigenstates of an electron in a uniform magnetic field, we obtain a relation between the minimum evolution time and the displacement of the mean radial position of the electron wave packet. The quantum speed limit time is calculated for an electron dynamics described by Dirac and Schr\"odinger-Pauli equations considering different parameters, such as the strength of magnetic field and the linear momentum of the electron in the axial direction. We highlight that when the electron undergoes a region with extremely strong magnetic field the relativistic and nonrelativistic dynamics differ substantially, so that the description given by the Schr\"odinger-Pauli equation enables the electron to travel faster than ccc, which is prohibited by Einstein's theory of relativity. This approach allows a connection between the abstract Hilbert space and the space-time coordinates, besides the identification of the most appropriate quantum dynamics used to describe the electron motion.
Because of the use of different limiting procedures, there are two conflict conclusions on wave function. One is that a wave function can describe a single particle and the other is that it can only describe an ensemble in the classical limit. In this paper the limiting procedures have been compared. We put the synthesized limit n→∞, →0 but keep E(n, ) to be the actual measured value of energy. Under this limit condition, we can not only prove that a wave function can only describe an ensemble, but also can make clear the dynamical behavior of the particles of the ensemble. Calculations show that the reason why quantum mechanics cannot describe a particle is not because of the motion equation but because of the definition of state for the particle.
Even after extensive research in Quantum Mechanics, we are still unable to visualize instant-to-instant motion of an electron in hydrogen atom. That is because in QM treatment, potential energy term has been mistakenly assumed to be time-independent instead of depending on the instant-to-instant varying position of the orbiting electron [1]. This has led to wrong and weird solutions for the electron motion in hydrogen atom. Before the advent of wave mechanics, Sommerfeld model of elliptical electron orbits was able to explain most features of hydrogen spectra, except for the features associated with electron spin and magnetic moment interactions. However, the Sommerfeld elliptical orbits were of kinematic origin and could not provide visualization of instant-to-instant dynamic motion of the orbiting electron. Contrary to the QM perspective, we find that central core of the electron behaves as a classical particle while its electrostatic field behaves as a wave phenomenon. As such an electron under Coulomb force moves strictly in accordance with Newtonian laws of motion. In this paper, we develop dynamic electron orbits in hydrogen atom by using energy and angular momentum conservation principle in central force field. We have shown that during photon emission, angular momentum of the orbiting electron is changed by ħ due to recoil action. This may be the origin of various quantization rules. During emission of a photon, elliptical orbit transitions are also computed and plotted. Orbit transition time is of the order of 10-16 seconds. We have extended this methodology to compute electron orbits in hydrogen molecular bond and computed the H2 bond energy.
An analysis is made of the relation between quantum theory and classical mechanics, in the context of the limit ℏ→0. Several ways in which this limit may be performed are considered. It is shown that Schrödinger's equation for a single particle moving in an external potential V does not, except in special cases, lead, in this limit, to Newton's equation of motion for the particle. This shows that classical mechanics cannot be regarded as emerging from quantum mechanics—at least in this sense—upon straightforward application of the limit ℏ→0.