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European Journal of Physics

Classical limit of position matrix elements for Rydberg atoms

Aleksandra Pitak, Jan Mostowski

Published Nov 9, 2017• 3 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Abstract In this work we discuss Bohr’s correspondence principle in a particular physical system, namely the hydrogen atom. It is shown that while diagonal elements of the position operator are equal to zero, off-diagonal elements between two states of different but close energies have a classical limit. The classical limit is reached when both principal quantum numbers, and hence both energies, are large but their difference is small. In this case the matrix elements of the position operator tend to the Fourier component of a classical trajectory, whose parameters are found. The classical limit is proved by finding numerical values of the matrix elements and also by exact treatment of the analytical formulas. This discussion provides a deeper understanding of the correspondence between quantum and classical mechanics and contributes to a better understanding of hydrogen atom wave functions.

DOI
10.1088/1361-6404/aa997c

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•Jan 1, 2014•1 citation
Abstract In this work we discuss Bohr’s correspondence principle in a particular physical system, namely the hydrogen atom. It is shown that while diagonal elements of the position operator are equal to zero, off-diagonal elements between two states of different but close energies have a classical limit. The classical limit is reached when both principal quantum numbers, and hence both energies, are large but their difference is small. In this case the matrix elements of the position operator tend to the Fourier component of a classical trajectory, whose parameters are found. The classical limit is proved by finding numerical values of the matrix elements and also by exact treatment of the analytical formulas. This discussion provides a deeper understanding of the correspondence between quantum and classical mechanics and contributes to a better understanding of hydrogen atom wave functions.
In the quantum field,due to Bohr correspondence principle,quantum mechanics go to classical mechanics in large quantum number.Based upon Heisenberg correspondence principle,quantum matrix element of a Hermitian operator reduces to the coefficient of Fourier expansion of the corresponding classical quantity in the classical limit.Using Heisenberg correspondence principle,quantum-classical correspondence of particles in magnetic is studied.Applying Heisenberg correspondence principle in relativistic realm,the exact wave functions of Klein-Gordon equation are obtained for particles in magnetic with quantum matrix element in a rectangular coordinate system of new representation.It turns out that in the classical limit matrix elements of quantum operators reduces to the classical solutions and with classical approach,the coordinate is cyclical variation with time,the orbit of particles is a circle,and the movement is uniform circular motion in uniform magnetic field.
A classical-limit formula is derived for matrix elements between bound states of distinct one-dimensional potentials. We leave open the physical interpretation of the potentials, but generally envision them to be Born-Oppenheimer-type potentials with the position variable xxx identifying with a slowly evolving degree of freedom of the system. For instance, xxx could represent the internuclear separation in a diatomic molecule, with the potentials being potential energy curves for different electronic states. In this scenario, the matrix elements could be, e.g., conventional Franck-Condon factors. To test the derived formula, we assume functional forms for the potentials and operator that afford analytical solutions for the matrix elements. As the classical limit is approached, the computed matrix elements exhibit a clear tendency towards the classical-limit formula, providing strong validation for the formula. In future work, we anticipate using the formula to model inhomogeneous excitation spectra of atoms in one-dimensional optical lattices, with an eye towards improved optical lattice clock performance.
Using the harmonic oscillator representation of the hydrogen atom and constructing the appropriate coherent state corresponding to the minimum uncertainty product, the classical limits of the two-dimensional and the three-dimensional hydrogen atom are examined. The method adopted is similar to that used by Bhaumik, Dutta Roy and Ghosh (1986). The authors deduce the classical limit by requiring that the expectation value (r) of the radial variable is large for the two-dimensional hydrogen atom. The resulting trajectory is an ellipse satisfying the conditions of the Kepler orbit in classical mechanics. In order to obtain the classical limit of the three-dimensional hydrogen atom, besides the condition of large (r), they make the uncertainty Delta r=((r 2 )-(r) 2 ) 1/2 a minimum with respect to certain parameters of the coherent state. Imposition of only the first condition leads to an elliptical orbit, which is not a Kepler orbit in general. Imposition of both conditions leads to an orbit identical with that of the two-dimensional hydrogen atom. However, the time evolution of the expectation values of position variables are consistent with the corresponding results of the Kepler problem only for small values of eccentricity, but not in general.
Abstract Classical and quantum mechanics are two very different theories, each describing the world within its own range of validity. It is often stated that classical mechanics emerges from quantum mechanics in a certain limit. This is known as the correspondence principle. According to Planck’s version of the correspondence principle, classical mechanics is recovered when the limit in which a dimensionless parameter containing Planck’s constant h goes to zero is taken, while Bohr’s version entails taking the limit of large quantum numbers. However, despite what is usually stated in textbooks, the relation between the two theories is much more complex to state and understand. Here we deal with this issue by analysing some key examples, in some of which also the analogously subtle relation between wave and geometric optics is considered. Implications for quantum mechanics teaching at undergraduate level are carefully discussed.
According to the correspondence principle, as formulated by Bohr, both in the old and the modern quantum theory, the classical limit should be recovered for large values of the quantum numbers in any quantum system. However, this classical limit of quantum theory is not so straightforward as in the interface of other generalizations of classical mechanics and other domains. In particular, relativistic kinematics and mechanics reduce to Newtonian equations by simple algebra in the case of bodies moving with small velocities compared to the speed of light in vacuum. In this paper we consider the correspondence limit to the two-body problem in gravitational physics, the limit in which both the principal and the angular quantum numbers, N, L are very large. In this limit, we compare with the classical elliptical orbits and we find that the macroscopic coherent quantum states correspond to the statistical average of every classical state compatible with conservation laws for the total energy and angular momentum. We also consider the perturbed Kepler problem with a central perturbation force proportional to the inverse of the cube of the distance to the central body. The exact solution for the quantum eigenstates shows that the first order perturbation to the energy eigenvalues are obtained classically as the temporal orbital average of the perturbation potential.