Harmonic oscillator in a variety of forms of classical and quantum mechanics

It is shown that the eigenvalue problem for the Hamiltonians of the standard form, $H=p^2/(2m)+V(x)$ , is equivalent to the classical dynamical equation for certain harmonic oscillators with time-dependent frequency. This is another indication of the central role played by time-dependent harmonic oscillators in quantum mechanics. The utility of the known results for eigenvalue problem in the solution of the dynamical equations of a class of time-dependent harmonic oscillators is also pointed out.It is shown that the eigenvalue problem for the Hamiltonians of the standard form, $H=p^2/(2m)+V(x)$, is equivalent to the classical dynamical equation for certain harmonic oscillators with time-dependent frequency. This is another indication of the central role played by time-dependent harmonic oscillators in quantum mechanics. The utility of the known results for eigenvalue problem in the solution of the dynamical equations of a class of time-dependent harmonic oscillators is also pointed out.

arXiv:quant-ph/9706056Jun 26, 19970 citations

Quantum Mechanics of Harmonic Oscillators

Thomas A. Garrity

Cambridge University Press eBooksJan 19, 20150 citations

Quantum Mechanics of the Harmonic Oscillator

WORLD SCIENTIFIC eBooksSep 1, 20121 citation

Transition from classical mechanics to quantum mechanics: x4 perturbed harmonic oscillator

Gabriel Álvarez, S. Graffi, Harris J. Silverstone

The detailed transition from classical mechanics to quantum mechanics, particularly in regard to the question of quantum corrections to the semiclassical quantization, can be completely understood for the ${x}^{4}$ perturbed harmonic oscillator. This is a consequence of five facts: (i) The quantum perturbation series for the energy can be solved order by order in closed form. (ii) The quantum series rearranges directly into the classical canonical perturbation series plus quantum corrections proportional to successively higher powers of ${\ensuremath{\Elzxh}}^{2}$. (iii) The classical series and the subseries for the quantum corrections converge (subseries by subseries) to the terms of the Jeffreys-Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin (JWKB) expansion for the energy (to all orders of \ensuremath{\Elzxh}). (iv) The (all-order) JWKB expansion, conversely, yields the quantum perturbation series and consequently uniquely determines the exact eigenvalue. (v) The ratio of the quantum energy to the classical energy at action (n+1/2)\ensuremath{\Elzxh} differs from 1 asymptotically by 1/[9\ensuremath{\pi}(n ${+1/2)}^{2}$ ], independent of both \ensuremath{\Elzxh} and the perturbation coupling constant, as the harmonic-oscillator quantum number n approaches \ensuremath{\infty}. An interesting additional feature is the mechanism by which the convergence of the classical perturbation series and of the series for the quantum corrections gets turned into the divergence of the quantum perturbation series.The detailed transition from classical mechanics to quantum mechanics, particularly in regard to the question of quantum corrections to the semiclassical quantization, can be completely understood for the ${x}^{4}$ perturbed harmonic oscillator. This is a consequence of five facts: (i) The quantum perturbation series for the energy can be solved order by order in closed form. (ii) The quantum series rearranges directly into the classical canonical perturbation series plus quantum corrections proportional to successively higher powers of ${\ensuremath{\Elzxh}}^{2}$. (iii) The classical series and the subseries for the quantum corrections converge (subseries by subseries) to the terms of the Jeffreys-Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin (JWKB) expansion for the energy (to all orders of \ensuremath{\Elzxh}). (iv) The (all-order) JWKB expansion, conversely, yields the quantum perturbation series and consequently uniquely determines the exact eigenvalue. (v) The ratio of the quantum energy to the classical energy at action (n+1/2)\ensuremath{\Elzxh} differs from 1 asymptotically by 1/[9\ensuremath{\pi}(n${+1/2)}^{2}$], independent of both \ensuremath{\Elzxh} and the perturbation coupling constant, as the harmonic-oscillator quantum number n approaches \ensuremath{\infty}. An interesting additional feature is the mechanism by which the convergence of the classical perturbation series and of the series for the quantum corrections gets turned into the divergence of the quantum perturbation series.

Physical Review AAug 1, 198826 citations

It is shown that the eigenvalue problem for the Hamiltonians of the standard form,

H=p^2/(2m)+V(x)

, is equivalent to the classical dynamical equation for certain harmonic oscillators with time-dependent frequency. This is another indication of the central role played by time-dependent harmonic oscillators in quantum mechanics. The utility of the known results for eigenvalue problem in the solution of the dynamical equations of a class of time-dependent harmonic oscillators is also pointed out.

{x}^{4}

perturbed harmonic oscillator. This is a consequence of five facts: (i) The quantum perturbation series for the energy can be solved order by order in closed form. (ii) The quantum series rearranges directly into the classical canonical perturbation series plus quantum corrections proportional to successively higher powers of ${\ensuremath{\Elzxh}}^{2}$. (iii) The classical series and the subseries for the quantum corrections converge (subseries by subseries) to the terms of the Jeffreys-Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin (JWKB) expansion for the energy (to all orders of \ensuremath{\Elzxh}). (iv) The (all-order) JWKB expansion, conversely, yields the quantum perturbation series and consequently uniquely determines the exact eigenvalue. (v) The ratio of the quantum energy to the classical energy at action (n+1/2)\ensuremath{\Elzxh} differs from 1 asymptotically by 1/[9\ensuremath{\pi}(n

{+1/2)}^{2}

], independent of both \ensuremath{\Elzxh} and the perturbation coupling constant, as the harmonic-oscillator quantum number n approaches \ensuremath{\infty}. An interesting additional feature is the mechanism by which the convergence of the classical perturbation series and of the series for the quantum corrections gets turned into the divergence of the quantum perturbation series.