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Path integrals and the discrete Weyl representation

Wayne Nicholas Polyzou

Published Aug 27, 2021• 0 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

This paper uses Schwinger's representation of quantum systems of a finite number of degrees of freedom to formulate discrete path integral representations of the dynamics. The representation starts with an observable with a finite number of distinct eigenvalues. Using that observable Schwinger constructs complementary pairs of finite dimensional unitary operators that are finite dimensional analogs of the irreducible Weyl algebra. These can be decomposed into products of irreducible sub-algebras that reduce to q-bit gates for the case of $2^N$ degrees of freedom. In the limit of a large number of discrete degrees of freedom these representations can be used to model quantum systems with continuous degrees of freedom. This limit recovers the continuum Weyl algebra. Path integrals can be formulated in the discrete case. They have the advantage that the number of paths for a finite number of time slices is finite. In this work the path integral is interpreted as the expectation value of a potential functional with respect to a complex probability distribution on the space of paths. An application to scattering from a short-range potential is given. Multi-resolution wavelet bases are used exactly represent a local $\phi^4(x)$ quantum field theory as a theory with an infinite number of discrete local modes. The discrete path integral is illustrated by computing time evolution when this theory is truncated to two coupled modes.

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This paper uses Schwinger's representation of quantum systems of a finite number of degrees of freedom to formulate discrete path integral representations of the dynamics. The representation starts with an observable with a finite number of distinct eigenvalues. Using that observable Schwinger constructs complementary pairs of finite dimensional unitary operators that are finite dimensional analogs of the irreducible Weyl algebra. These can be decomposed into products of irreducible sub-algebras that reduce to q-bit gates for the case of 2N2^N2N degrees of freedom. In the limit of a large number of discrete degrees of freedom these representations can be used to model quantum systems with continuous degrees of freedom. This limit recovers the continuum Weyl algebra. Path integrals can be formulated in the discrete case. They have the advantage that the number of paths for a finite number of time slices is finite. In this work the path integral is interpreted as the expectation value of a potential functional with respect to a complex probability distribution on the space of paths. An application to scattering from a short-range potential is given. Multi-resolution wavelet bases are used exactly represent a local ϕ4(x)\phi^4(x)ϕ4(x) quantum field theory as a theory with an infinite number of discrete local modes. The discrete path integral is illustrated by computing time evolution when this theory is truncated to two coupled modes.
Abstract A discrete formulation of the real-time path integral as the expectation value of a functional of paths with respect to a complex probability on a sample space of discrete valued paths is explored. The formulation in terms of complex probabilities is motivated by a recent reinterpretation of the real-time path integral as the expectation value of a potential functional with respect to a complex probability distribution on cylinder sets of paths. The discrete formulation in this work is based on a discrete version of the Weyl algebra that can be applied to any observable with a finite number of outcomes. The origin of the complex probability in this work is the completeness relation. In the discrete formulation the complex probability exactly factors into products of conditional probabilities and exact unitarity is maintained at each level of approximation. The approximation of infinite dimensional quantum systems by discrete systems is discussed. The method is illustrated by applying it to scattering theory and quantum field theory. The implications of these applications for quantum computing is discussed.
We develop a path integral representation for the dynamics of quantum systems with a finite-dimensional Hilbert space, formulated entirely within a discrete phase space. Starting from the discrete Wigner function on Zd×Zd{\mathbb{Z}_d} \times {\mathbb{Z}_d}Zd​×Zd​ (ddd an odd prime) and the associated Weyl transform built from generalized displacement operators, we derive an exact kernel that propagates the discrete Wigner function in time and, by iterating its composition law through a short-time approximation, obtain a sum-over-paths expression weighted by a discrete phase-space action -- the natural finite-dimensional counterpart of Marinov's functional. For Hamiltonians linear in the phase-space coordinates and at times strictly commensurate with the lattice, the fluctuation sum collapses to a deterministic shift, realizing the discrete analog of classical Hamiltonian flow. Applying the formalism to one and to two interacting qutrits (d=3d=3d=3), we show that the full entanglement dynamics -- captured by a closed-form linear entropy valid for all times -- requires the coherent contribution of all fluctuation sectors; the boundary-term (mean-field) sector alone fails to reproduce it. For a non-stabilizer Hamiltonian, where the short-time kernel is only approximate, the time-sliced path integral converges to the exact dynamics, including the dynamical generation of Wigner negativity. We discuss implications for the semiclassical simulation of many-body spin systems and for the characterization of non-classicality through Wigner negativity.
Quantum field theories are quantum mechanical systems with an infinite number of degrees of freedom. We start this book with a review of quantum mechanics in a form that is particularly suited for the field theory generalization. This form utilizes the Heisenberg picture and the functional integral representation of probability amplitudes — the transformation functions of Dirac. Some time will be spent developing and discussing the functional or path integral representation of quantum mechanics since this will enable us to learn a new formalism in a simple and familiar physical context — we won't have to learn too many new things all at once. The functional formulation will be illustrated by applying it at some length to the harmonic oscillator which is not only the simplest (and exactly soluble) non-trivial quantum system but which is also the dynamics of a single mode of a free field theory. The purpose of this review of quantum mechanics is to introduce in the simplest form much of the notation and methods used later in the book. Throughout this chapter we will explicitly work only with systems that have a single degree of freedom (one coordinate variable). The extension to systems with several degrees of freedom is straightforward.
Weyl's formulation of quantum mechanics opened the possibility of studying the dynamics of quantum systems both in infinite-dimensional and finite-dimensional systems. Based on Weyl's approach, generalized by Schwinger, a self-consistent theoretical framework describing physical systems characterized by a finite-dimensional space of states has been created. The used mathematical formalism is further developed by adding finite-dimensional versions of some notions and results from the continuous case. Discrete versions of the continuous Gaussian functions have been defined by using the Jacobi theta functions. We continue the investigation of the properties of these finite Gaussians by following the analogy with the continuous case. We study the uncertainty relation of finite Gaussian states, the form of the associated Wigner quasi-distribution and the evolution under free-particle and quantum harmonic oscillator Hamiltonians. In all cases, a particular emphasis is put on the recovery of the known continuous-limit results when the dimension d of the system increases.
Weyl's formulation of quantum mechanics opened the possibility of studying the dynamics of quantum systems both in infinite-dimensional and finite-dimensional systems. Based on Weyl's approach, generalized by Schwinger, a self-consistent theoretical framework describing physical systems characterised by a finite-dimensional space of states has been created. The used mathematical formalism is further developed by adding finite-dimensional versions of some notions and results from the continuous case. Discrete versions of the continuous Gaussian functions have been defined by using the Jacobi theta functions. We continue the investigation of the properties of these finite Gaussians by following the analogy with the continuous case. We study the uncertainty relation of finite Gaussian states, the form of the associated Wigner quasi-distribution and the evolution under free-particle and quantum harmonic oscillator Hamiltonians. In all cases, a particular emphasis is put on the recovery of the known continuous-limit results when the dimension ddd of the system increases.
Path integrals are mathematical objects that can be considered as generalizations to an infinite number of variables, represented by paths, of usual integrals. They share the algebraic properties of usual integrals, but have new properties from the viewpoint of analysis. They are powerful tools for the study of quantum mechanics, since they emphasize very explicitly the correspondence between classical and quantum mechanics. Physical quantities are expressed as averages over all possible paths but, in the semi-classical limit, the leading contributions come from paths close to classical paths. Thus, path integrals lead to an intuitive understanding of physical quantities in the semi-classical limit, as well as simple calculations of such quantities. This observation can be illustrated with scattering processes, spectral properties, or barrier penetration effects. Even though the formulation of quantum mechanics based on path integrals seems mathematically more complicated than the usual formulation based on partial differential equations, the path integral formulation is well adapted to systems with many degrees of freedom, where a formalism of Schrödinger type is much less useful. It allows simple construction of a many-body theory both for bosons and fermions.