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arXiv:quant-ph/0404087

Position Uncertainty Measures on the Sphere

D. A. Trifonov

Published Apr 14, 2004• 3 citations
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Abstract

Position uncertainty (delocalization) measures for a particle on the sphere are proposed and illustrated on several examples of states. The new measures are constructed using suitably the standard multiplication angle operator variances. They are shown to depend solely on the state of the particle and to obey uncertainty relations of the Schroedinger--Robertson type. A set of Hermitian operators with continuous spectrum is pointed out the variances of which are complementary to the longitudinal angle uncertainty measure.

DOI
10.48550/arxiv.quant-ph/0404087

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Electronic Research Archive•Jan 1, 2023•1 citation
Position uncertainty (delocalization) measures for a particle on the sphere are proposed and illustrated on several examples of states. The new measures are constructed using suitably the standard multiplication angle operator variances. They are shown to depend solely on the state of the particle and to obey uncertainty relations of the Schroedinger--Robertson type. A set of Hermitian operators with continuous spectrum is pointed out the variances of which are complementary to the longitudinal angle uncertainty measure.
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In this work we study various notions of uncertainty for angular momentum in the spin-s representation of SU(2). We characterize the 'uncertainty regions' given by all vectors, whose components are specified by the variances of the three angular momentum components. A basic feature of this set is a lower bound for the sum of the three variances. We give a method for obtaining optimal lower bounds for uncertainty regions for general operator triples, and evaluate these for small s. Further lower bounds are derived by generalizing the technique by which Robertson obtained his state-dependent lower bound. These are optimal for large s, since they are saturated by states taken from the Holstein-Primakoff approximation. We show that, for all s, all variances are consistent with the so-called vector model, i.e., they can also be realized by a classical probability measure on a sphere of radius Entropic uncertainty relations can be discussed similarly, but are minimized by different states than those minimizing the variances for small s. For large s the Maassen-Uffink bound becomes sharp and we explicitly describe the extremalizing states. Measurement uncertainty, as recently discussed by Busch, Lahti and Werner for position and momentum, is introduced and a generalized observable (POVM) which minimizes the worst case measurement uncertainty of all angular momentum components is explicitly determined, along with the minimal uncertainty.
In this work we study various notions of uncertainty for angular momentum in the spin- s representation of SU(2). We characterize the ‘uncertainty regions’ given by all vectors, whose components are specified by the variances of the three angular momentum components. A basic feature of this set is a lower bound for the sum of the three variances. We give a method for obtaining optimal lower bounds for uncertainty regions for general operator triples, and evaluate these for small s . Further lower bounds are derived by generalizing the technique by which Robertson obtained his state-dependent lower bound. These are optimal for large s , since they are saturated by states taken from the Holstein–Primakoff approximation. We show that, for all s , all variances are consistent with the so-called vector model, i.e., they can also be realized by a classical probability measure on a sphere of radius s ( s + 1 ) . Entropic uncertainty relations can be discussed similarly, but are minimized by different states than those minimizing the variances for small s . For large s the Maassen–Uffink bound becomes sharp and we explicitly describe the extremalizing states. Measurement uncertainty, as recently discussed by Busch, Lahti and Werner for position and momentum, is introduced and a generalized observable (POVM) which minimizes the worst case measurement uncertainty of all angular momentum components is explicitly determined, along with the minimal uncertainty. The output vectors for the optimal measurement all have the same length r ( s ) , where r ( s ) / s → 1 as s → ∞ .
In the preceding Comment (quant-ph/0209032) Trifonov disputes our recently proposed uncertainty relations for a quantum particle on a circle. He states that (i) the quantity Δ2(ϕ^)Δ^2(\hatϕ)Δ2(ϕ^​) introduced by us representing the uncertainty of the angle is not a proper measure of the position uncertainty and therefore the proposed inequalities can hardly be qualified as a relevant uncertainty relations on a circle; and that (ii) the most suitable uncertainty relations on a circle are those based on the Gram-Robertson matrix. It is shown by examples that both points are erroneous.
The eigenvalues and eigenvectors of a normalized gaussian operator do not seem to have been previously considered. I solve this problem for 1-dimensional translational systems. I also address the question as to whether a gaussian operator is a density operator. To answer that question, it is first necessary to be sure what conditions must be satisfied, so a short review of density operators is given. Since position and momentum do not commute in quantum mechanics, it is useful to start with the consequences of the noncommutation, which is generally the Schrödinger-Robertson uncertainty relation, which is also briefly reviewed. It is found that the question of whether a gaussian operator is a density operator is directly tied to this uncertainty relation. Since the Wigner function is the phase space representation of a translational density operator, it is natural to consider the gaussian phase space function associated with a gaussian operator and to compare the phase space and operator properties. Throughout such discussions, the independent parameters in these functions are the first and second moments of position and momentum. The application of this formalism to the free translation and spreading of a gaussian packet is given and shows the formal similarity between classical and quantum behavior, whereas the literature standardly only considers the pure state case (equivalent to a single wavefunction).