The dynamical behaviour of simple harmonic motion can be found in numerous natural phenomena. Within the quantum realm of atomic, molecular and optical systems, two main features are associated with harmonic oscillations: a finite ground-state energy and equally spaced quantum energy levels. Here it is shown that there is in fact a one-to-one mapping between the provision of equally spaced quantum energy levels and simple harmonic motion. The analysis establishes that the Hamiltonian of any system featuring quantized energy levels in an evenly spaced, infinite set must have a quadratic dependence on a pair of canonically conjugate variables. Moreover, specific physical inferences can be drawn. For example, exploiting this 'back-to-front' derivation, and based on the known existence of photons, it can be proved that an electromagnetic energy density is quadratic in both the electric and magnetic fields.
The dynamical behaviour of simple harmonic motion can be found in numerous natural phenomena. Within the quantum realm of atomic, molecular and optical systems, two main features are associated with harmonic oscillations: a finite ground-state energy and equally spaced quantum energy levels. Here it is shown that there is in fact a one-to-one mapping between the provision of equally spaced quantum energy levels and simple harmonic motion. The analysis establishes that the Hamiltonian of any system featuring quantized energy levels in an evenly spaced, infinite set must have a quadratic dependence on a pair of canonically conjugate variables. Moreover, specific physical inferences can be drawn. For example, exploiting this 'back-to-front' derivation, and based on the known existence of photons, it can be proved that an electromagnetic energy density is quadratic in both the electric and magnetic fields.
Abstract The ‘back-to-front’ derivation of the properties of the quantum harmonic oscillator (QHO), starting with its equally spaced energy levels, is re-examined. A new derivation that exploits the natural rotational symmetry of the QHO is proposed. The new approach allows the ‘back-to-front’ idea to be extended further by showing that it is possible to derive the Hamiltonian of a system of particles from the starting point that the population is represented by a natural number. This involves the symmetry properties of phasors and Schwinger's theory of angular momentum. The analysis is also extended to multi-mode bosonic systems and fermionic systems. It is suggested that these results offer an alternative way to formulate physics, based on discreteness.
The study of quantum properties of the harmonic oscillator is important in physics as many real-world systems oscillate harmonically. Motion of systems in a confined space is often modeled as being a quantized harmonic motion or, in first instance, is approximated by a harmonic motion. This chapter helps the reader to solve the equation employing an algebraic operator technique, which is based on the Dirac notation. This approach has several definite advantages and exploits the commutation relations among the operators involved and their properties. The chapter transforms the stationary Schrodinger equation into a second-order differential equation and finds the solution to the equation with the aid of a more advanced mathematical technique that involves special functions. The energy of a harmonic oscillator is quantized, with the sequence of values. The difference in energy between adjacent energy levels is equal to the energy of a single photon, ħω.
An earlier study of quantum-mechanical time has suggested that, from the quantum-theoretic point of view, time is a random variable. The present work explores how such a description of time can be used to bring greater detail into the analysis of the one-dimensional harmonic oscillator. Specifically, the classical equations for harmonic motion are used as a point transformation between phase space and time-energy space, permitting probability distributions in the two spaces to be different representations of the same thing. The familiar energy-quantization hypothesis is supplemented with the hypothesis that quantized energy values are means (averages) of energy distributions characteristic of each energy state. With the probability distribution of time determined from the previously cited study, the desired quantized energy distributions follow from the requirements: (1) that they should be normalized, non-negative, and with means equal to the quantized energy values; (2) that the equivalent representation of distribution in position-momentum space should have marginal densities that are proportional (except near the origin) to the densities in position and momentum, ${|\ensuremath{\phi}(q)|}^{2}$ and ${|\ensuremath{\psi}(p)|}^{2}$, which are postulated in quantum theory. Requirement (2) is a weakening of the Born postulate. In the time-energy space, the probability distributions exclude energies smaller than the mode (energy value with maximum probability). In position-momentum space this exclusion requirement becomes the dynamical restriction: $\frac{{q}^{2}m{\ensuremath{\omega}}^{2}}{2}+\frac{{p}^{2}}{2m}\ensuremath{\ge}\frac{{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}_{n}\ensuremath{\hbar}\ensuremath{\omega}}{2}$, where, for the first three energy states, ${\ensuremath{\Lambda}}_{0}=0$, ${\ensuremath{\Lambda}}_{1}=\frac{3}{2}$, ${\ensuremath{\Lambda}}_{2}=2+\ensuremath{\surd}\frac{3}{2}$. In general terms it is thus shown that the quantized harmonic oscillator can be described as a statistical ensemble of classical oscillators. Some comparisons with work on phase-space formulations of quantum mechanics (especially with the work of Wigner) are made and some aspects of the theory that should submit to experimental verification are pointed out.
Mechanical motions of atoms near their equilibrium geometry are approximated by a universal mapping on a collection of independent harmonic oscillators. The respective frequencies are characteristic to the material, for example, lattice phonons or molecular vibrations. The quantum description of atomic motions involves the solution of the Schrödinger equation for the harmonic oscillator in the space of proper wave functions. The energy levels obtained are shown to be equally spaced where the level spacing is proportional to the oscillator frequency. The stationary solutions are identified in terms of Hermite polynomials, demonstrating remarkable differences from the classical harmonic oscillator. The importance of the zero-point energy is emphasized in the context of the stability of chemical bonds, where the Harmonic approximation is shown to be reasonably valid for typical interatomic bonds in standard thermal conditions. This explains the relevance of the harmonic approximation for analyzing the absorption spectrum of infrared radiation by molecules.
ABSTRACT In standard quantum mechanics, the spectrum of the harmonic oscillator: is derived by solving the Schrödinger equation for a parabolic potential. This is a mathematical formalism that gives correct numerical results but does not explain why the levels are as they are – why there is a ground state , why the levels are equally spaced, why the difference between them is . In the TVM framework, the spectrum of the harmonic oscillator is recognized through two independent physical processes that are already embedded in the mechanism of the Universe's evolution: Evolution of the first level – how the energy of the original, primary level decreases through successive transformations. Hierarchy of new levels – how, at each transformation, part of the energy separates from the previous level and forms a new, independent level. These two processes are simultaneous and correlated: the first level cannot evolve without creating new levels, and new levels cannot arise without the evolution of the first level. They are two sides of the same process – the impossibility of perfect division upon reaching the transformation limit . In TVM, the ground state of the harmonic oscillator is not a "zero-point energy of the vacuum" – it is a consequence of the first transformation. The formula: comes directly from the TVM mechanism and fractal recursion, where each new level has its own frequency , and the product of amplitude and momentum grows as . Thus, the harmonic oscillator ceases to be a "special" quantum system – it becomes a general pattern that appears wherever a system undergoes a series of transformations, from the initial state of the Universe to local quantum phenomena. Keywords: TVM, harmonic oscillator, spectrum, fractal recursion, transformation, stationarity, energy defect. NOTE: This is the third in a series of supplementary scientific papers that elaborate the application of the TVM formalism to specific physical phenomena. Starting from the foundations laid in the zeroth paper [1], this work derives the harmonic oscillator spectrum from the transformation mechanism and the hierarchy of levels. It is recommended that the reader first study the First supplementary work (de Broglie relation) [2] and the Second supplementary work (Electron shell filling) [3], as well as Chapters 3 and 4 of the main work [1].
Controllability--the possibility of performing any target dynamics by applying a set of available operations--is a fundamental requirement for the practical use of any physical system. For finite-dimensional systems, such as spin systems, precise criteria to establish controllability, such as the so-called rank criterion, are well known. However, most physical systems require a description in terms of an infinite-dimensional Hilbert space whose controllability properties are poorly understood. Here, we investigate infinite-dimensional bosonic quantum systems--encompassing quantum light, ensembles of bosonic atoms, motional degrees of freedom of ions, and nanomechanical oscillators--governed by quadratic Hamiltonians (such that their evolution is analogous to coupled harmonic oscillators). After having highlighted the intimate connection between controllability and recurrence in the Hilbert space, we prove that, for coupled oscillators, a simple extra condition has to be fulfilled to extend the rank criterion to infinite-dimensional quadratic systems. Further, we present a useful application of our finding, by proving indirect controllability of a chain of harmonic oscillators.