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Theoretical and mathematical physics

Introduction to Coherent States

Didier Robert, Monique Combescure

Published Jan 1, 2021• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

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 \(z_t\), where \(z_t\) 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.

DOI
10.1007/978-3-030-70845-0_1

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Weyl Quantization and Coherent States

Didier Robert, Monique Combescure

It is well known from the work of Berezin [24] (Commun. Math. Phys. 40:153–174, 1975) in 1975 that the quantization problem of a classical mechanical system is closely related with coherent states. In particular coherent states help to understand the limiting behaviour of a quantum system when the Planck constant \(\hbar \) becomes negligible in macroscopic units. This problem is called the semi-classical limit problem. In this chapter we discuss properties of quantum systems when the configuration space is the Euclidean space \(\mathbb R^n\). So that in the Hamiltonian formalism, the phase space is \(\mathbb R^n\times \mathbb R^n\) with its canonical symplectic form \(\sigma \). The quantization problem has many solutions, so we choose a convient one, introduced by Weyl [259] (The Classical Groups, 1997) and Wigner [261] (Group Theory and Its Applications to Quantum Mechanics of Atomic Spectra, 1959). We study the symmetries of Weyl quantization, the operationnal calculus and applications to propagation of observables. We show that Wick quantization is a natural bridge between Weyl quantization and coherent states. Applications are given to the semi-classical limit after introducing an efficient modern tool: the semi-classical measures. We illustrate the general results proved in this chapter by explicit computations for the harmonic oscillator. More applications will be given in the following chapters, in particular concerning propagators and trace formulas for a large class of quantum systems.

Theoretical and mathematical physics•Jan 1, 2021•0 citations

A new class of coherent states and it's properties.

Abdlgader Mohamed

The study of coherent states (CS) for a quantum mechanical system has \nreceived a lot of attention. The definition, applications, generalizations of \nsuch states have been the subject of work by researchers. A common starting \npoint of all these approaches is the observation of properties of the original \nCS for the harmonic oscillator. It is well-known that they are described \nequivalently as (a) eigenstates of the usual annihilation operator, (b) from \na displacement operator acting on a fundamental state and (c) as minimum \nuncertainty states. What we observe in the different generalizations proposed \nis that the preceding definitions are no longer equivalent and only some of \nthe properties of the harmonic oscillator CS are preserved. \nIn this thesis we propose to study a new class of coherent states and \nits properties. We note that in one example our CS coincide with the ones \nproposed by Glauber where a set of three requirements for such states has \nbeen imposed. The set of our generalized coherent states remains invariant \nunder the corresponding time evolution and this property is called temporal \nstability. Secondly, there is no state which is orthogonal to all coherent states (the coherent states form a total set). The third property is that we \nget all coherent states by acting on one of these states [¿fiducial vector¿] with \noperators. They are highly non-classical states, in the sense that in general, \ntheir Bargmann functions have zeros which are related to negative regions of \ntheir Wigner functions. Examples of these coherent states with Bargmann \nfunction that involve the Gamma and also the Riemann ¿ functions are represented. \nThe zeros of these Bargmann functions and the paths of the zeros \nduring time evolution are also studied.

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Weyl quantization

Giampiero V. M. Esposito, Giuseppe Marmo, George Sudarshan

The commutator of position and momentum operators is first considered in the coordinate and momentum representations, and then in an abstract Hilbert space. The reader is then introduced to canonical operators with the associated canonical quantization of commutation rules, which consists of maps defined on a symplectic space and taking values in the set of unitary operators on a Hilbert space. If the symplectic space is finite-dimensional, all of its irreducible representations are unitarily equivalent. The Weyl exponentiated form of the commutation relations is described and investigated. One then arrives at the definition of Weyl systems, and it is shown how to recover from them the formulation in terms of self-adjoint operators which satisfy a generalized form of commutation relations. Further topics are the Heisenberg representation for temporal evolution and the generalized uncertainty relations. Unitary operators associated with symplectic linear transformations are then considered, and, within this framework, translations, rotations and the harmonic oscillator are considered. The Weyl programme is then reassessed. Lastly, the basic postulates of modern quantum theory are eventually studied: the probabilistic nature of the predictions of results of measurements; the correspondence between observables and self-adjoint operators on Hilbert spaces; the expected result of measuring an observable quantity; and the evolution of the state vector in systems which are not affected by any external influence. The chapter ends with an outline of rigged Hilbert space formalism and its applications. The commutator in wave mechanics In the first part of this book we studied wave mechanics within the framework of the Schrödinger equation.

Cambridge University Press eBooks•Mar 11, 2004•0 citations

The Heisenberg-Weyl-parity group its coherent states and a unified Wigner-Weyl function

A. Vourdas

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 $2d^3$ elements, of which $d^3$ elements belong to the $HW(d)$ subgroup, and extra $d^3$ 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.$2d^2$ coherent states related to the $HWP(d)$ group are introduced, which consist of $d^2$ coherent states related to the $HW(d)$ 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 $2d^2$ coherent states with Bargmann coefficients, is advantageous in comparison to expansion in terms of the $d^2$ 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.

quant-pharXiv:2605.14820•May 15, 2026•0 citations

Coherent states: a contemporary panorama

S. Twareque Ali, Jean-Pierre Antoine, Fabio Bagarello +1 more

Coherent states (CS) of the harmonic oscillator (also called canonical CS) were introduced in 1926 by Schrödinger in answer to a remark by Lorentz on the classical interpretation of the wave function. They were rediscovered in the early 1960s, first (somewhat implicitly) by Klauder in the context of a novel representation of quantum states, then by Glauber and Sudarshan for the description of coherence in lasers. Since then, CS have grown into an extremely rich domain that pervades almost every corner of physics and have also led to the development of several flourishing topics in mathematics. Along the way, a number of review articles have appeared in the literature, devoted to CS, notably the 1985 reprint volume of Klauder and Skagerstam [1], the 1990 review paper by Zhang et al [2], the 1993 Oak Ridge Conference [3] and the 1995 review paper by Ali et al [4]. Textbooks also have been published, among which one might mention the ground breaking text of Perelomov [5] focusing on the group-theoretical aspects, that of Ali et al [6] 1 analyzing systematically the mathematical structure beyond the group-theoretical approach and also the relation to wavelet analysis, that of Dodonov and Man'ko [7] mostly devoted to quantum optics, that of Gazeau [8] more oriented towards the physical, probabilistic and quantization aspects, and finally the very recent one by Combescure and Robert [9]. In retrospect, one can see that the development of CS has gone through a two-phase transition. First, the (simultaneous) discovery in 1972 by Gilmore and Perelomov that CS were rooted in group theory, then the realization that CS can be defined in a purely algebraic way, as an eigenvalue problem or by a series expansion (Malkin and Man'ko 1969, Barut and Girardello 1971, Gazeau and Klauder 1999; references to the original articles may be found in the textbooks quoted above). Both facts resulted in an explosive expansion of the CS literature. We thought, therefore, that the time was ripe to devote a special issue of Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical to CS. However, because of limitations of space and time, it would have been impossible to get a fully representative cross-section of papers, covering all the different facets of the subject. Consequently, we have selected 37 articles, including some by a few of the originators of the field. We thank all the authors for submitting their up-to-date thoughts on this fascinating subject. The contents of this special issue are subdivided into five categories: (1) review papers; (2) physics-oriented CS; (3) physics and quantum information; (4) mathematics, general topics; and (5) mathematics, particular problems. (1) Review papers We start with five review papers. The first paper, by Klauder, surveys the many possible applications of affine variables, both in classical and quantum physics. The second, by Sanders, proposes a grand tour of entangled CS, which are present in many fields, such as quantum optics, quantum information processing, etc. The next paper, by Rowe, surveys the field of vector CS and the attendant group representation problems (including induced representations). Then Oriti et al describe a particular class of CS relevant to (loop) quantum gravity. Finally, Combescure and Robert present a comprehensive review of fermionic CS, including all mathematical details. (2) Physics-oriented CS The six contributions in this section deal with specific physical problems: (i) Dajka–Luczka study Gazeau–Klauder cat states associated with a nonlinear Kerr oscillator, instead of the usual canonical CS leading to Schrödinger cat states; (ii) Angelova et al discuss squeezed CS associated with a 1D Morse potential, used in molecular physics; (iii) Bagrov et al study CS in a magnetic solenoid field and prove their completeness; (iv) Blasone–Jizba treat Nambu–Goldstone dynamics in spontaneously broken symmetries, using CS functional integrals; (v) Calixto et al describe accelerated relativistic particles in the context of spontaneous breakdown of conformal SU(2,2) symmetry, using SU(2,2) CS; and (vi) Mortazavi–Tavassoly study f -deformed charge CS and their physical properties (nonclassical features, sub-Poissonian statistical behavior, etc). (3) Physics and quantum information The second group of physically related CS contains four contributions with a distinct quantum information theoretic flavor. First, Thilagam describes the dynamical behavior of entanglement of a pair of qubits (excitons), using a CS basis. Next, Lavoie–de Guise study SU(3) intelligent states (i.e., minimal uncertainty states), of interest in the quantum information community. Then Muñoz constructs discrete CS for n qubits. Finally, Wagner–Kendon explore the continuous variable Deutsch–Jozsa algorithm known in quantum computing in a discrete formulation. (4) Mathematics, general topics In this subgroup, there are eight papers dealing with general properties of CS, independently of any particular system or application. A whole series discusses the interaction between CS and various mathematical objects: pseudodifferential operators and Weyl calculus (Unterberger); induced representations of the affine group and intertwining operators (Elmabrok–Hutnik); measure-free CS and reproducing kernels (Horzela–Szafraniec); extremal POV measures (Heinosaari–Pellonpää); Hilbert W*-modules (Bhattacharyya–Roy); Toeplitz operators (Hutníková–Hutník); and operator localization and homogeneous structure of nilpotent Lie groups (Kisil). In addition, Balazs et al consider multipliers for continuous frames, including CS or wavelet frames. (5) Mathematics, particular problems The second group of mathematically oriented papers contains 14 contributions, devoted to CS in particular systems. We start with a paper by Gilmore, which explores the (sometimes chaotic) evolution of atomic CS under a time-periodic driving field, using sphere maps S 2 → S 2 . Next, we include a paper on CS on the 2-sphere in a magnetic field (Hall–Mitchell); a paper on CS for a quantum particle on a Möbius strip (Cirilo–Lombardo); a discussion of quantization on the circle (Chadzitaskos et al ); SUSY CS for Pöschl–Teller potentials (Bergeron et al ); generalized Bargmann functions and von Neumann lattices (Vourdas et al ); partial reconstruction for a finite CS system, using the Fock–Bargmann representation (Calixto et al ); phase operators for SU(3) irreps, thus for finite quantum systems (de Guise); semiclassical CS in periodic potentials (Carles–Sparber); complexified CS with non-Hermitian Hamiltonians (Graefe–Schubert); minimal uncertainty states in the context of (semisimple) group representation theory (Oszmaniec); localization operators in the time-frequency domain, i.e., in Gabor analysis (Muzhikyan–Avanesyan); and, finally, two papers about fermionic CS (Daoud–Kibler and Trifonov). This brief description illustrates perfectly the extreme versatility of the CS concept. As already stressed, coherent states constitute nowadays a flourishing research topic, with applications to a wide spectrum of domains. Indeed, CS are everywhere in physics: condensed matter physics, atomic physics, nuclear and particle physics, quantum optics, dynamics—both quantum and classical potentials—quantum gravity, quantization and quantum information theory. On the other hand, CS have grown into a fully-fledged domain in mathematics, incorporating many tools such as group representations, POV measures, frames, holomorphic functions, orthogonal polynomials and so on. Interestingly enough, the majority of contributions to this special issue (22 out of 37) are mathematically minded, demonstrating the widespread interest CS have generated in various areas of mathematics. A third field related to CS (but almost not represented in the present collection) is signal processing. Indeed both Gabor analysis and wavelet analysis derive in the first place from CS theory, namely, CS associated to the Weyl–Heisenberg and the ax + b group, respectively. Here too, a tremendous development has taken place in recent years, another testimony to the richness of the notion of CS. We leave it to the jury of public opinion to judge whether the call for a special issue of the journal, devoted to coherent states, has been justified. References [1] Klauder J R and Skagerstam B S 1985 Coherent States—Applications in Physics and Mathematical Physics (Singapore: World Scientific) [2] Zhang W-M, Feng D H and Gilmore R 1990 Coherent states: theory and some applications Rev. Mod. Phys. 62 867–927 [3] Feng D H, Klauder J R and Strayer M (ed) 1994 Coherent States: Past, Present and Future (Singapore: World Scientific) [4] Ali S T, Antoine J-P, Gazeau J-P and Mueller U A 1995 Coherent states and their generalizations: a mathematical overview Rev. Math. Phys. 7 1013–104 [5] Perelomov A M 1986 Generalized Coherent States and Their Applications (New York: Springer) [6] Ali S T, Antoine J-P and Gazeau J-P 2000 Coherent States, Wavelets and Their Generalizations (New York: Springer) [7] Dodonov V V and Man'ko V I (ed) 2003 Theory of Nonclassical States of Light (London: Taylor & Francis) [8] Gazeau J-P 2009 Coherent States in Quantum Physics (Berlin: Wiley) [9] Combescure M and Robert D 2012 Coherent States and Applications in Mathematical Physics (New York: Springer) 1 A second edition of that volume is in preparation.

Journal of Physics A Mathematical and Theoretical•May 30, 2012•9 citations

Geometrical Dynamics by the Schrödinger Equation and Coherent States Transform

Fadhel Almalki

This thesis is concerned with a concept of geometrising time evolution of quantum systems. This concept is inspired by the fact that the Legendre transform expresses dynamics of a classical system through first-order Hamiltonian equations. We consider, in this thesis, coherent state transforms with a similar effect in quantum mechanics: they reduce certain quantum Hamiltonians to first-order partial differential operators. Therefore, the respective dynamics can be explicitly solved through a flow of points in extensions of the phase space. This, in particular, generalises the geometric dynamics of a harmonic oscillator in the Fock-Segal-Bargmann (FSB) space. We describe all Hamiltonians which are geometrised (in the above sense) by Gaussian and Airy beams and exhibit explicit solutions for such systems

•Jun 1, 2019•2 citations
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 (z_t), where (z_t) 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.
It is well known from the work of Berezin [24] (Commun. Math. Phys. 40:153–174, 1975) in 1975 that the quantization problem of a classical mechanical system is closely related with coherent states. In particular coherent states help to understand the limiting behaviour of a quantum system when the Planck constant ℏ\hbar ℏ becomes negligible in macroscopic units. This problem is called the semi-classical limit problem. In this chapter we discuss properties of quantum systems when the configuration space is the Euclidean space Rn\mathbb R^nRn. So that in the Hamiltonian formalism, the phase space is Rn×Rn\mathbb R^n\times \mathbb R^nRn×Rn with its canonical symplectic form σ\sigma σ. The quantization problem has many solutions, so we choose a convient one, introduced by Weyl [259] (The Classical Groups, 1997) and Wigner [261] (Group Theory and Its Applications to Quantum Mechanics of Atomic Spectra, 1959). We study the symmetries of Weyl quantization, the operationnal calculus and applications to propagation of observables. We show that Wick quantization is a natural bridge between Weyl quantization and coherent states. Applications are given to the semi-classical limit after introducing an efficient modern tool: the semi-classical measures. We illustrate the general results proved in this chapter by explicit computations for the harmonic oscillator. More applications will be given in the following chapters, in particular concerning propagators and trace formulas for a large class of quantum systems.
The study of coherent states (CS) for a quantum mechanical system has \nreceived a lot of attention. The definition, applications, generalizations of \nsuch states have been the subject of work by researchers. A common starting \npoint of all these approaches is the observation of properties of the original \nCS for the harmonic oscillator. It is well-known that they are described \nequivalently as (a) eigenstates of the usual annihilation operator, (b) from \na displacement operator acting on a fundamental state and (c) as minimum \nuncertainty states. What we observe in the different generalizations proposed \nis that the preceding definitions are no longer equivalent and only some of \nthe properties of the harmonic oscillator CS are preserved. \nIn this thesis we propose to study a new class of coherent states and \nits properties. We note that in one example our CS coincide with the ones \nproposed by Glauber where a set of three requirements for such states has \nbeen imposed. The set of our generalized coherent states remains invariant \nunder the corresponding time evolution and this property is called temporal \nstability. Secondly, there is no state which is orthogonal to all coherent states (the coherent states form a total set). The third property is that we \nget all coherent states by acting on one of these states [¿fiducial vector¿] with \noperators. They are highly non-classical states, in the sense that in general, \ntheir Bargmann functions have zeros which are related to negative regions of \ntheir Wigner functions. Examples of these coherent states with Bargmann \nfunction that involve the Gamma and also the Riemann ¿ functions are represented. \nThe zeros of these Bargmann functions and the paths of the zeros \nduring time evolution are also studied.
The commutator of position and momentum operators is first considered in the coordinate and momentum representations, and then in an abstract Hilbert space. The reader is then introduced to canonical operators with the associated canonical quantization of commutation rules, which consists of maps defined on a symplectic space and taking values in the set of unitary operators on a Hilbert space. If the symplectic space is finite-dimensional, all of its irreducible representations are unitarily equivalent. The Weyl exponentiated form of the commutation relations is described and investigated. One then arrives at the definition of Weyl systems, and it is shown how to recover from them the formulation in terms of self-adjoint operators which satisfy a generalized form of commutation relations. Further topics are the Heisenberg representation for temporal evolution and the generalized uncertainty relations. Unitary operators associated with symplectic linear transformations are then considered, and, within this framework, translations, rotations and the harmonic oscillator are considered. The Weyl programme is then reassessed. Lastly, the basic postulates of modern quantum theory are eventually studied: the probabilistic nature of the predictions of results of measurements; the correspondence between observables and self-adjoint operators on Hilbert spaces; the expected result of measuring an observable quantity; and the evolution of the state vector in systems which are not affected by any external influence. The chapter ends with an outline of rigged Hilbert space formalism and its applications. The commutator in wave mechanics In the first part of this book we studied wave mechanics within the framework of the Schrödinger equation.
The Heisenberg-Weyl group HW(d)HW(d)HW(d) related to a ddd-dimensional Hilbert space H(d)H(d)H(d), is enlarged into the Heisenberg-Weyl-parity group HWP(d)HWP(d)HWP(d) that incorporates parity transformations. It consists of 2d32d^32d3 elements, of which d3d^3d3 elements belong to the HW(d)HW(d)HW(d) subgroup, and extra d3d^3d3 elements which are related through a Fourier transform with the former ones. It is shown that HWP(d)HWP(d)HWP(d) is a generalised version of the dihedral group. The properties of operators that combine displacements and parity, are discussed. HWP(d)HWP(d)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.2d22d^22d2 coherent states related to the HWP(d)HWP(d)HWP(d) group are introduced, which consist of d2d^2d2 coherent states related to the HW(d)HW(d)HW(d) subgroup, and extra d2d^2d2 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 2d22d^22d2 coherent states with Bargmann coefficients, is advantageous in comparison to expansion in terms of the d2d^2d2 coherent states related to HW(d)HW(d)HW(d). One of the consequences of the HWP(d)HWP(d)HWP(d) group, is a natural unification of the Wigner and Weyl functions. The properties of the unified Wigner-Weyl function are discussed.
Coherent states (CS) of the harmonic oscillator (also called canonical CS) were introduced in 1926 by Schrödinger in answer to a remark by Lorentz on the classical interpretation of the wave function. They were rediscovered in the early 1960s, first (somewhat implicitly) by Klauder in the context of a novel representation of quantum states, then by Glauber and Sudarshan for the description of coherence in lasers. Since then, CS have grown into an extremely rich domain that pervades almost every corner of physics and have also led to the development of several flourishing topics in mathematics. Along the way, a number of review articles have appeared in the literature, devoted to CS, notably the 1985 reprint volume of Klauder and Skagerstam [1], the 1990 review paper by Zhang et al [2], the 1993 Oak Ridge Conference [3] and the 1995 review paper by Ali et al [4]. Textbooks also have been published, among which one might mention the ground breaking text of Perelomov [5] focusing on the group-theoretical aspects, that of Ali et al [6] 1 analyzing systematically the mathematical structure beyond the group-theoretical approach and also the relation to wavelet analysis, that of Dodonov and Man'ko [7] mostly devoted to quantum optics, that of Gazeau [8] more oriented towards the physical, probabilistic and quantization aspects, and finally the very recent one by Combescure and Robert [9]. In retrospect, one can see that the development of CS has gone through a two-phase transition. First, the (simultaneous) discovery in 1972 by Gilmore and Perelomov that CS were rooted in group theory, then the realization that CS can be defined in a purely algebraic way, as an eigenvalue problem or by a series expansion (Malkin and Man'ko 1969, Barut and Girardello 1971, Gazeau and Klauder 1999; references to the original articles may be found in the textbooks quoted above). Both facts resulted in an explosive expansion of the CS literature. We thought, therefore, that the time was ripe to devote a special issue of Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical to CS. However, because of limitations of space and time, it would have been impossible to get a fully representative cross-section of papers, covering all the different facets of the subject. Consequently, we have selected 37 articles, including some by a few of the originators of the field. We thank all the authors for submitting their up-to-date thoughts on this fascinating subject. The contents of this special issue are subdivided into five categories: (1) review papers; (2) physics-oriented CS; (3) physics and quantum information; (4) mathematics, general topics; and (5) mathematics, particular problems. (1) Review papers We start with five review papers. The first paper, by Klauder, surveys the many possible applications of affine variables, both in classical and quantum physics. The second, by Sanders, proposes a grand tour of entangled CS, which are present in many fields, such as quantum optics, quantum information processing, etc. The next paper, by Rowe, surveys the field of vector CS and the attendant group representation problems (including induced representations). Then Oriti et al describe a particular class of CS relevant to (loop) quantum gravity. Finally, Combescure and Robert present a comprehensive review of fermionic CS, including all mathematical details. (2) Physics-oriented CS The six contributions in this section deal with specific physical problems: (i) Dajka–Luczka study Gazeau–Klauder cat states associated with a nonlinear Kerr oscillator, instead of the usual canonical CS leading to Schrödinger cat states; (ii) Angelova et al discuss squeezed CS associated with a 1D Morse potential, used in molecular physics; (iii) Bagrov et al study CS in a magnetic solenoid field and prove their completeness; (iv) Blasone–Jizba treat Nambu–Goldstone dynamics in spontaneously broken symmetries, using CS functional integrals; (v) Calixto et al describe accelerated relativistic particles in the context of spontaneous breakdown of conformal SU(2,2) symmetry, using SU(2,2) CS; and (vi) Mortazavi–Tavassoly study f -deformed charge CS and their physical properties (nonclassical features, sub-Poissonian statistical behavior, etc). (3) Physics and quantum information The second group of physically related CS contains four contributions with a distinct quantum information theoretic flavor. First, Thilagam describes the dynamical behavior of entanglement of a pair of qubits (excitons), using a CS basis. Next, Lavoie–de Guise study SU(3) intelligent states (i.e., minimal uncertainty states), of interest in the quantum information community. Then Muñoz constructs discrete CS for n qubits. Finally, Wagner–Kendon explore the continuous variable Deutsch–Jozsa algorithm known in quantum computing in a discrete formulation. (4) Mathematics, general topics In this subgroup, there are eight papers dealing with general properties of CS, independently of any particular system or application. A whole series discusses the interaction between CS and various mathematical objects: pseudodifferential operators and Weyl calculus (Unterberger); induced representations of the affine group and intertwining operators (Elmabrok–Hutnik); measure-free CS and reproducing kernels (Horzela–Szafraniec); extremal POV measures (Heinosaari–Pellonpää); Hilbert W*-modules (Bhattacharyya–Roy); Toeplitz operators (Hutníková–Hutník); and operator localization and homogeneous structure of nilpotent Lie groups (Kisil). In addition, Balazs et al consider multipliers for continuous frames, including CS or wavelet frames. (5) Mathematics, particular problems The second group of mathematically oriented papers contains 14 contributions, devoted to CS in particular systems. We start with a paper by Gilmore, which explores the (sometimes chaotic) evolution of atomic CS under a time-periodic driving field, using sphere maps S 2 → S 2 . Next, we include a paper on CS on the 2-sphere in a magnetic field (Hall–Mitchell); a paper on CS for a quantum particle on a Möbius strip (Cirilo–Lombardo); a discussion of quantization on the circle (Chadzitaskos et al ); SUSY CS for Pöschl–Teller potentials (Bergeron et al ); generalized Bargmann functions and von Neumann lattices (Vourdas et al ); partial reconstruction for a finite CS system, using the Fock–Bargmann representation (Calixto et al ); phase operators for SU(3) irreps, thus for finite quantum systems (de Guise); semiclassical CS in periodic potentials (Carles–Sparber); complexified CS with non-Hermitian Hamiltonians (Graefe–Schubert); minimal uncertainty states in the context of (semisimple) group representation theory (Oszmaniec); localization operators in the time-frequency domain, i.e., in Gabor analysis (Muzhikyan–Avanesyan); and, finally, two papers about fermionic CS (Daoud–Kibler and Trifonov). This brief description illustrates perfectly the extreme versatility of the CS concept. As already stressed, coherent states constitute nowadays a flourishing research topic, with applications to a wide spectrum of domains. Indeed, CS are everywhere in physics: condensed matter physics, atomic physics, nuclear and particle physics, quantum optics, dynamics—both quantum and classical potentials—quantum gravity, quantization and quantum information theory. On the other hand, CS have grown into a fully-fledged domain in mathematics, incorporating many tools such as group representations, POV measures, frames, holomorphic functions, orthogonal polynomials and so on. Interestingly enough, the majority of contributions to this special issue (22 out of 37) are mathematically minded, demonstrating the widespread interest CS have generated in various areas of mathematics. A third field related to CS (but almost not represented in the present collection) is signal processing. Indeed both Gabor analysis and wavelet analysis derive in the first place from CS theory, namely, CS associated to the Weyl–Heisenberg and the ax + b group, respectively. Here too, a tremendous development has taken place in recent years, another testimony to the richness of the notion of CS. We leave it to the jury of public opinion to judge whether the call for a special issue of the journal, devoted to coherent states, has been justified. References [1] Klauder J R and Skagerstam B S 1985 Coherent States—Applications in Physics and Mathematical Physics (Singapore: World Scientific) [2] Zhang W-M, Feng D H and Gilmore R 1990 Coherent states: theory and some applications Rev. Mod. Phys. 62 867–927 [3] Feng D H, Klauder J R and Strayer M (ed) 1994 Coherent States: Past, Present and Future (Singapore: World Scientific) [4] Ali S T, Antoine J-P, Gazeau J-P and Mueller U A 1995 Coherent states and their generalizations: a mathematical overview Rev. Math. Phys. 7 1013–104 [5] Perelomov A M 1986 Generalized Coherent States and Their Applications (New York: Springer) [6] Ali S T, Antoine J-P and Gazeau J-P 2000 Coherent States, Wavelets and Their Generalizations (New York: Springer) [7] Dodonov V V and Man'ko V I (ed) 2003 Theory of Nonclassical States of Light (London: Taylor & Francis) [8] Gazeau J-P 2009 Coherent States in Quantum Physics (Berlin: Wiley) [9] Combescure M and Robert D 2012 Coherent States and Applications in Mathematical Physics (New York: Springer) 1 A second edition of that volume is in preparation.
This thesis is concerned with a concept of geometrising time evolution of quantum systems. This concept is inspired by the fact that the Legendre transform expresses dynamics of a classical system through first-order Hamiltonian equations. We consider, in this thesis, coherent state transforms with a similar effect in quantum mechanics: they reduce certain quantum Hamiltonians to first-order partial differential operators. Therefore, the respective dynamics can be explicitly solved through a flow of points in extensions of the phase space. This, in particular, generalises the geometric dynamics of a harmonic oscillator in the Fock-Segal-Bargmann (FSB) space. We describe all Hamiltonians which are geometrised (in the above sense) by Gaussian and Airy beams and exhibit explicit solutions for such systems