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arXiv:quant-ph/0011115 · American Journal of Physics

Generalizing the Heisenberg uncertainty relation

Eric D. Chisolm

Published Mar 1, 2001• 55 citations

Abstract

The proof of the Heisenberg uncertainty relation is modified to produce two improvements: (a) The resulting inequality is stronger because it includes the covariance between the two observables, and (b) the proof lifts certain restrictions on the state to which the relation is applied, increasing its generality. The restrictions necessary for the standard inequality to apply are not widely known, and they are discussed in detail. The classical analog of the Heisenberg relation is also derived, and the two are compared. Finally, the modified relation is used to address the apparent paradox that eigenfunctions of the z component of angular momentum Lz do not satisfy the φ–Lz Heisenberg relation; the resolution is that the restrictions mentioned above make the usual inequality inapplicable to these states. The modified relation does apply, however, and it is shown to be consistent with explicit calculations.

DOI: 10.1119/1.1317561

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The proof of the Heisenberg uncertainty relation is modified to produce two improvements: (a) The resulting inequality is stronger because it includes the covariance between the two observables, and (b) the proof lifts certain restrictions on the state to which the relation is applied, increasing its generality. The restrictions necessary for the standard inequality to apply are not widely known, and they are discussed in detail. The classical analog of the Heisenberg relation is also derived, and the two are compared. Finally, the modified relation is used to address the apparent paradox that eigenfunctions of the z component of angular momentum Lz do not satisfy the φ–Lz Heisenberg relation; the resolution is that the restrictions mentioned above make the usual inequality inapplicable to these states. The modified relation does apply, however, and it is shown to be consistent with explicit calculations.

The mathematical content of the uncertainty principle is contained in special states akin to, and including, states of minimum uncertainty. Specific uncertainty relations are produced by averaging observables in these states. The approach is shown to give more flexible and complete expressions of indeterminacy than the familiar generalized Heisenberg inequality: statistical measures other than variances can be employed, the method is not limited to describing uncertainties in terms of products of statistical dispersions, and the resulting inequalities have the most stringent bounds attainable independent of the system state. Applications are then made to find uncertainty relations for position-momentum average displacements from the means, time-energy indeterminacy, and uncertainties in angular momentum components.

The Heisenberg inequality ΔX ΔP \geq \hbar/2 can be replaced by an exact equality, for suitably chosen measures of position and momentum uncertainty, which is valid for all wavefunctions. The significance of this "exact" uncertainty relation is discussed, and results are generalised to angular momentum and phase, photon number and phase, time and frequency, and to states described by density operators. Connections to optimal estimation of an observable from the measurement of a second observable, Wigner functions, energy bounds, and entanglement are also given.

Recently, Maccone and Pati [Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 113}, 260401 (2014)] derived few inequalities among variances of incompatible operators which they called stronger uncertainty relations, stronger than Heisenberg-Robertson or Schrodinger uncertainty relations. Here we generalize their study to get infinite number of such inequalities and propose that only one of them may be the correct uncertainty relation between incompatible operators. We get back well known uncertainty relations of Heisenberg-Robertson and Schrodinger under certain limits. We also reexamine the conclusions of Maccone and Pati and comment on their work.

Abstract The uncertainty principle sets a limit to our capacity to predict the outcomes of two incompatible measurements. The Heisenberg uncertainty relation for two arbitrary observables A and B is usually discussed in textbooks. However, little or no attention is paid to the fact that Schrödinger generalised the Heisenberg relation taking into account the covariance between the observables A and B . This extended inequality is known as the Robertson–Schrödinger uncertainty relation. Here, we demonstrate the less known fact that two-level quantum states, i.e., qubits, satisfy the equality of the Robertson–Schrödinger uncertainty relation for two arbitrary observables A and B . Taking advantage of the homomorphism between SU(2) and SO(3) groups, it is possible to map the distributions of the expectation values and variances of the observables, and the Heisenberg and covariance terms on the Bloch sphere. The graphical visualisation of the relevant quantities involved in the uncertainty relations allows us to distinguish specific properties and symmetries that are not so evident in the algebraic formalism.

The Heisenberg inequality $\ensuremath{\Delta}X\ensuremath{\Delta}P>~\ensuremath{\Elzxh}/2$ can be replaced by an exact equality, for suitably chosen measures of position and momentum uncertainty, which is valid for all wave functions. The statistics of complementary observables are thus connected by an ``exact'' uncertainty relation. Results may be generalized to angular momentum and phase, photon number and phase, time and frequency, and to states described by density operators. Connections to energy bounds, entanglement, Wigner functions, and optimal estimation of an observable from the measurement of a second observable are also given.