Time Operators in Classical and Quantum Systems.

Tadashi Fujimoto

Kyu Hwang Yeon, Jeong Ryeol Choi, Zhang Shou

We study both classical and quantum relation between two Hamiltonian systems which are mutually connected by time-dependent canonical transformation. One is ordinary conservative system and the other is time-dependent Hamiltonian system. The quantum unitary operator relevant to classical canonical transformation between the two systems are obtained through rigorous evaluation. With the aid of the unitary operator, we have derived quantum states of the time-dependent Hamiltonian system through transforming the quantum states of the conservative system. The invariant operators of the two systems are presented and the relation between them are addressed. We showed that there exist numerous Hamiltonians, which gives the same classical equation of motion. Though it is impossible to distinguish the systems described by these Hamiltonians within the realm of classical mechanics, they can be distinguishable quantum mechanically.

Armando Martínez-Pérez, Gabino Torres-Vega

We use a discrete derivative to introduce a time operator for non-relativistic quantum systems with point spectrum. The symmetry requirement on the time operator leads to well-defined time values related to the dynamics of discrete quantum systems. As an illustration, we find travel times between hits with the walls for the quantum particle in a box model. These times suggest a classical analog of time eigenstates. We also briefly consider the Woods–Saxon potential and propose classical analogs for it.

V. S. Olkhovsky, Erasmo Recami, A. J. Gerasimchuk

Ce Wang

Time-reversal symmetry is of fundamental importance to physics. In the classical theory of time-reversal symmetry, the time-reversal symmetry of a quantum system is described by an anti-unitary operator, which is known as the time-reversal operator of the system. In this paper, we introduce and study a model of continuous-time quantum walk on a special locally infinite graph. After examining its spectral property, we investigate the time-reversal symmetry of the model. To our surprise, we find that its time-reversal symmetry can be described directly by a unitary operator, which contrasts sharply with that in the classical theory of time-reversal symmetry. Some other related results are also proven.

Chun-Fang Li, Qi Wang