Abstract By using the quantum potential approach, we show that: the Airy beam determines a Hamiltonian system with one degree of freedom for a particle of mass m = 1 evolving under the influence of a quantum potential, such that its associated quantum force is constant, the integral curves of the Poynting vector are parabolic ones and turn out to be a subset of solutions of the corresponding Hamilton equations, the geometrical light rays associated with the Airy beam, are given by the tangent lines to the zeroes of the quantum potential, and the caustic coincides with the zeros of the quantum potential. Furthermore, we present a derivation of the Airy beam from the quantum potential equations by assuming that the quantum force is constant.
Abstract By using the quantum potential approach, we show that: the Airy beam determines a Hamiltonian system with one degree of freedom for a particle of mass m = 1 evolving under the influence of a quantum potential, such that its associated quantum force is constant, the integral curves of the Poynting vector are parabolic ones and turn out to be a subset of solutions of the corresponding Hamilton equations, the geometrical light rays associated with the Airy beam, are given by the tangent lines to the zeroes of the quantum potential, and the caustic coincides with the zeros of the quantum potential. Furthermore, we present a derivation of the Airy beam from the quantum potential equations by assuming that the quantum force is constant.
In this work we compute, via the quantum potential approach, the Hamiltonian system determined by Hermite–Gaussian beams. Then we show that the integral curves of the Poynting vector, exact optics energy trajectories, conform to a subset of solutions to the corresponding Hamilton equations lying on hyperboloidal surfaces. The geometrical light rays associated with these beams are given by the tangent lines to the integral curves of the Poynting vector at the zeroes of the quantum potential, and the caustic region coincides with the zeroes of quantum potential and quantum force. One of the main contributions of this work is to present the relationship between the physical phase k Φ, the geometrical-optics phase k Φ G , and the quantum potential Q HG in the Hermite–Gaussian beams. Furthermore, note that for any solution to the paraxial wave equation in free space, the tangent lines to the integral curves of the Poynting vector that correspond to the geometric light rays are those that pass through the points where the region determined by zeroes of the quantum potential is tangent to the geometrical caustic determined by the geometric light rays .
The aim of the present work is to show that the Laguerre–Gauss beams determine a Hamiltonian system with two degrees of freedom for a particle of mass m = 1 under the action of the quantum potential determined by these beams. We show that the integral curves of the Poynting vector constitute a particular subset of solutions to the corresponding Hamilton equations and that the geometrical light rays associated with these twisted beams turn out to be the tangent straight lines to the exact optics energy trajectories at the zeroes of the quantum potential . By using the Hamiltonian formulation, we determine the velocity, the linear momentum, the angular momentum, the torque, and the areal velocity characterizing the particle associated with the Laguerre–Gauss beams.
The aim of the present work is to show that any monochromatic solution to the scalar wave equation in free space defines a conservative Hamiltonian system, describing a particle of mass m = 1 / 2 and energy E = 1 , under the influence of the so-called quantum potential. We remark that the integral curves of its Poynting vector, exact optics energy trajectories, define a particular subset of solutions to the corresponding Hamilton equations. Furthermore, we introduce the zero quantum potential straight lines concept, as the family of tangent lines to the integral curves of the Poynting vector at the zeros of the quantum potential. These general results are applied to a family of plane waves and to Bessel beams. In the case of Bessel beams, we present a detailed study of the trajectories determined by the corresponding Hamiltonian system, and we show that the zero quantum potential straight lines coincide with the geometrical light rays, geometrical optics energy trajectories. Furthermore, we show that the areal velocity , determined by the exact optics energy trajectories, for non-zero order Bessel beams is not a constant of motion. However, its projection along the z ^ direction is a constant of motion because L z is a constant.
Abstract The main contribution of the present work is to use the probability density of an Airy beam to identify its maxima with the family of caustics associated with the wavefronts determined by the level curves of a one-parameter family of solutions to the Hamilton–Jacobi equation with a given potential . To this end, we give a classical mechanics characterization of a solution of the one-dimensional Schrödinger equation in free space determined by a complete integral of the Hamilton–Jacobi and Laplace equations in free space. That is, with this type of solution, we associate a two-parameter family of wavefronts in the spacetime, which are the level curves of a one-parameter family of solutions to the Hamilton–Jacobi equation with a determined potential, and a one-parameter family of caustics. The general results are applied to an Airy beam to show that the maxima of its probability density provide a discrete set of: caustics, wavefronts and potentials. The results presented here are a natural generalization of those obtained by Berry and Balazs in 1979 for an Airy beam. Finally, we remark that, in a natural manner, each maxima of the probability density of an Airy beam determines a Hamiltonian system.
In this work, we use the quantum potential approach to quantum mechanics to show that the Madelung–Bohm trajectories for a particle in a constant gravitational field can be related to those of a free particle by means of a quantum point transformation defined in the extended configuration space. We find that the point transformation also gives a connection between the corresponding quantum Hamiltonians determined by the solutions of the corresponding Schrödinger equations for these two problems. We show that the Madelung–Bohm trajectories determined by the stationary solutions to the Schrödinger equation for the particle in a constant gravitational field are straight ones, while the corresponding ones for the free particle are parabolic trajectories. The Airy beam is one example of this type of solution. We study the properties of a solution to the Schrödinger equation for a free particle with phase singularities (zeroes), and we find that the corresponding solution to the Schrödinger equation for the particle in a constant gravitational field also has zeroes at the same spacetime points. However, the Madelung–Bohm trajectories determined by the two solutions are totally different. Furthermore, we remark that similar results can be directly obtained for the paraxial wave equation.
From a geometric perspective, the caustic is the most classical description of a wave function since its evolution is governed by the Hamilton-Jacobi equation. On the other hand, according to the Madelung-de Broglie-Bohm equations, the most classical description of a solution to the Schrödinger equation is given by the zeros of the Madelung-Bohm potential. In this work, we compare these descriptions, and, by analyzing how the rays are organized over the caustic, we find that the wave functions with fold caustic are the most classical beams because the zeros of the Madelung-Bohm potential coincide with the caustic. For another type of beam, the Madelung-Bohm potential is in general distinct to zero over the caustic. We have verified these results for the one-dimensional Airy and Pearcey beams, which, according to the catastrophe theory, have stable caustics. Similarly, we introduce the optical Madelung-Bohm potential, and we show that if the optical beam has a caustic of the fold type, then its zeros coincide with the caustic. We have verified this fact for the Bessel beams of nonzero order. Finally, we remark that for certain cases, the zeros of the Madelung-Bohm potential are linked with the superoscillation phenomenon.