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arXiv:quant-ph/0404072 · Journal of Physics A Mathematical and General

On the notion of phase in mechanics

Maurice A de Gosson

Published Jul 8, 2004• 11 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

The notion of phase plays an essential role in both semiclassical and quantum mechanics. But what is exactly a phase, and how does it change with time? It turns out that the most universal definition of a phase can be given in terms of Lagrangian manifolds by exploiting the properties of the Poincaré–Cartan form. Such a phase is defined, not in configuration space, but rather in phase-space and is thus insensitive to the appearance of caustics. Surprisingly enough, this approach allows us to recover the Heisenberg–Weyl formalism without invoking commutation relations for observables.

DOI
10.1088/0305-4470/37/29/008

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The notion of phase plays an essential role in both semiclassical and quantum mechanics. But what is exactly a phase, and how does it change with time? It turns out that the most universal definition of a phase can be given in terms of Lagrangian manifolds by exploiting the properties of the Poincaré–Cartan form. Such a phase is defined, not in configuration space, but rather in phase-space and is thus insensitive to the appearance of caustics. Surprisingly enough, this approach allows us to recover the Heisenberg–Weyl formalism without invoking commutation relations for observables.
It is shown that q-deformed quantum mechanics (systems with q-deformed Heisenberg commutation relations) can be interpreted as an ordinary quantum mechanics on Kähler manifolds, or as a quantum theory with second (or first)-class constraints. 1. The q-deformed Heisenberg-Weyl algebras [1], [2] exhibiting the quantum group symmetries [3],[4] have attracted much attention of physicists and mathematicians. In particular, some works have been devoted to establishing potentials for ordinary quantum systems which exhibit a q-deformed energy spectrum (see, for example, [5] and references therein) in order to obtain classical dynamical systems associated with the q-deformed Heisenberg-Weyl algebras. In the present paper, we analyze the correspondence limit, when ¯h → 0 (rather than q → 1), of multimode q-deformed Heisenberg-Weyl algebras [1], [2] regardless of the specific form of a Hamiltonian. We show that classical systems associated with the q-deformed Heisenberg-Weyl algebras in this way possess a non-trivial symplectic structure which, in turn, is related to the Kähler symplectic structure [6]. From the other hand, a natural (physical) reason for a dynamical system to have a nontrivial symplectic structure is the existence of ”frozen ” , non-dynamical degrees of freedom or, in other words, constraints [7]. Dirac pointed out that a nontrivial symplectic structure might naturally occur in dynamical systems through second-class constraints [7]. We shall demonstrate below how constrained dynamics can be associated with the q-deformed Heisenberg-Weyl algebra. As was shown in [8], a non-commutative phase space does not necessarily emerges in the formal classical limit of q-deformed quantum mechanics, provided the deformation parameter q is a function of the Planck constant. In the latter case, q-deformed Heisenberg-Weyl algebras yield quadratic symplectic structures on a commutative phase space. For example, the one-mode q-deformed Heisenberg-Weyl algebra defined by the commutation relation ˆ b ˆ b − q
The Weyl transform is applied in quantum dynamics to derive and extend Moyal's statistical theory of phase-space distributions for noncommuting coordinate and momentum operators. The distinction is made between Weyl transforms in Schrödinger and Heisenberg pictures; the general case of time-dependent Hamiltonians is considered. The Wigner function for the probability distribution in a phase space of Cartesian coordinates Q and momenta K propagates according to a conditional probability P(t, Q, K | t0, Q0, K0), which is exhibited as a Feynman path integral in phase space. Properties of P(t, Q, K | t0, Q0, K0) are developed; it is expressed in terms of the quantum generalization of the classical Liouville operator. The Weyl transform of a Heisenberg operator propagates according to P(t, Q0, K0 | t0, Q, K) which is also given as a Feynman path integral. An equation for the time evolution of Weyl transforms of Heisenberg operators is obtained, according to which the transform of Heisenberg coordinate and momentum operators obey a quantum form of Hamilton's equations of motion. If the initial density operator of the system commutes with the coordinate operator, then the state of the system is a mixture of pure coordinate states; the spectrum of the density operator in this case is continuous. For a Heisenberg operator AH(t) with Weyl transform AH(t, Q, K), the function A(t,Q)=∫dKAH(t,Q,K) is the expectation at time t of the dynamical property for a quantum system initially in a pure state of coordinate Q; it is the quantum-mechanical generalization of the dynamical property of the system along the classical trajectory in configuration space at time t. The probability amplitude for the time dependence of A(t,Q) can be expressed as a Feynman path integral with a Heisenberg Lagrangian. The amplitude of the conditional probability P(t, Q | t0, Q0) considered by Feynman is expressed as a path integral with a Schrödinger Lagrangian. The velocity in the Heisenberg Lagrangian is the negative of that in the Schrödinger Lagrangian of Feynman, but it agrees with the velocity appearing in the Hamiltonian equations. It is the Heisenberg Lagrangian that is the Lagrangian of classical dynamics. For a particle whose potential energy is a function of position, a quantum form of Newton's second law is obtained. An extension of the formalism to non-Cartesian coordinate systems is given.