A classical theorem of Stone and von Neumann says that the Schrödinger representation is, up to unitary equivalences, the only irreducible representation of the Heisenberg group on the Hilbert space of square-integrable functions on configuration space. Using the Wigner-Moyal transform we construct an irreducible representation of the Heisenberg group on a certain Hilbert space of square-integrable functions defined on phase space. This allows us to extend the usual Weyl calculus into a phase-space calculus and leads us to a quantum mechanics in phase space, equivalent to standard quantum mechanics. We also briefly discuss the extension of metaplectic operators to phase space and the probabilistic interpretation of the solutions of the phase space Schrödinger equation
The Heisenberg-Weyl group
HW(d) related to a
d-dimensional Hilbert space
H(d), is enlarged into the Heisenberg-Weyl-parity group
HWP(d) that incorporates parity transformations. It consists of
2d3 elements, of which
d3 elements belong to the
HW(d) subgroup, and extra
d3 elements which are related through a Fourier transform with the former ones. It is shown that
HWP(d) is a generalised version of the dihedral group. The properties of operators that combine displacements and parity, are discussed.
HWP(d) is shown to be a solvable group, and commutators of its elements perform displacement and parity transformations of quantum states, along loops in the discrete phase space.
2d2 coherent states related to the
HWP(d) group are introduced, which consist of
d2 coherent states related to the
HW(d) subgroup, and extra
d2 coherent states which are related through a Fourier transform with the former ones. In noisy cases, expansion of an arbitrary state in terms of the
2d2 coherent states with Bargmann coefficients, is advantageous in comparison to expansion in terms of the
d2 coherent states related to
HW(d). One of the consequences of the
HWP(d) group, is a natural unification of the Wigner and Weyl functions. The properties of the unified Wigner-Weyl function are discussed.
The Heisenberg-Weyl group H W ( d ) related to a d -dimensional Hilbert space H ( d ) , is enlarged into the Heisenberg-Weyl-parity group H W P ( d ) that incorporates parity transformations. It consists of 2 d 3 elements, of which d 3 elements belong to the H W ( d ) subgroup, and extra d 3 elements which are related through a Fourier transform with the former ones. It is shown that H W P ( d ) is a generalised version of the dihedral group. The properties of operators that combine displacements and parity, are discussed. H W P ( d ) is shown to be a solvable group, and commutators of its elements perform displacement and parity transformations of quantum states, along loops in the discrete phase space. 2 d 2 coherent states related to the H W P ( d ) group are introduced, which consist of d 2 coherent states related to the H W ( d ) subgroup, and extra d 2 coherent states which are related through a Fourier transform with the former ones. In noisy cases, expansion of an arbitrary state in terms of the 2 d 2 coherent states with Bargmann coefficients, is advantageous in comparison to expansion in terms of the d 2 coherent states related to H W ( d ) . One of the consequences of the H W P ( d ) group, is a natural unification of the Wigner and Weyl functions. The properties of the unified Wigner–Weyl function are discussed.
In this Chapter we study the Weyl–Heisenberg group in the Schrödinger representation in arbitrary dimension n. One shows that it operates in the Hilbert space of quantum states (and on quantum operators) as a phase-space translation. Then applying it to a Schwartz class state of arbitrary profile we get a set of generalized coherent states. When we apply the Weyl–Heisenberg translation operator to the ground state of the n-dimensional Harmonic Oscillator, one gets the standard coherent states introduced by Schrödinger [233] (Naturwissenshaften 14:664–666, 1926) in the early days of quantum mechanics (1926). Later the coherent states have been extensively studied by Glauber [118, 119] (Phys. Rev. 131:2766–2788, 1963; Phys. Rev. 130:2529–2539, 1963) for the purpose of quantum optics and it seems that their name comes back to this work. The standard coherent states have been generalized by Perelomov [208] (Generalised Coherent States and Their Applications, 1986) to more general Lie groups than the Weyl–Heisenberg group. We also introduce the usual creation and annihilation operators in dimension n which are very convenient for the study of coherent states. We show that coherent states constitute a non-orthogonal over-complete system which yields a resolution of the identity operator in the Hilbert space and which allows a computation of the Hilbert–Schmidt norm and of the trace of respectively Hilbert–Schmidt class and trace-class operators. We study their time-evolution for the quantum Harmonic Oscillator hamiltonian and show that a time evolved coherent state located around phase-space point z is up to a phase a coherent state located around the phase-space point
zt, where
zt is the phase-space point of the classical flow governed by the Harmonic Oscillator. This property was described by Schrödinger as the non-spreading of the time evolution of coherent states under the quantum Harmonic Oscillator dynamics. We also show how to go from the Schrödinger to the Fock–Bargmann representation using the standard coherent states.
Abstract Coherent states, in Wigner representation of quantum mechanics which is classical in structure with Wigner function playing the role of classical phase space probability distribution, and standard quantum mechanical expression for average values of corresponding Weyl quantum operators, general expression for matrix elements of the operator corresponding to phase of the oscillator by Weyl procedure, are obtained in the |n〉 basis. The general expression for matrix elements in the same basis of any other operator is also obtained. As the only mathematical technique necessary in the proposed procedure is a simple change of variables to polar coordinates in the corresponding integrals, this way to introduce Weyl phase operator, and some other operators in Weyl quantization, greatly simplifies necessary derivations and calculations.