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arXiv:quant-ph/9802030 · Physical Review A

Time-dependent invariants and Green functions in the probability representation of quantum mechanics

Vladimir I. Man’ko, Luigi Rosa, Patrizia Vitale

Published May 1, 1998• 46 citations
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Abstract

In the probability representation of quantum mechanics, quantum states are represented by a classical probability distribution, the marginal distribution function (MDF), whose time dependence is governed by a classical evolution equation. We find and explicitly solve, for a wide class of Hamiltonians, equations for the Green function of such an equation, the so-called classical propagator. We elucidate the connection of the classical propagator to the quantum propagator for the density matrix and to the Green function of the Schr\"odinger equation. Within the new description of quantum mechanics we give a definition of coherence solely in terms of properties of the MDF and we test the definition recovering well known results. As an application, the forced parametric oscillator is considered. Its classical and quantum propagator are found, together with the MDF for coherent and Fock states.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.57.3291

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In the probability representation of quantum mechanics, quantum states are represented by a classical probability distribution, the marginal distribution function (MDF), whose time dependence is governed by a classical evolution equation. We find and explicitly solve, for a wide class of Hamiltonians, equations for the Green function of such an equation, the so-called classical propagator. We elucidate the connection of the classical propagator to the quantum propagator for the density matrix and to the Green function of the Schr"odinger equation. Within the new description of quantum mechanics we give a definition of coherence solely in terms of properties of the MDF and we test the definition recovering well known results. As an application, the forced parametric oscillator is considered. Its classical and quantum propagator are found, together with the MDF for coherent and Fock states.
The quantizer–dequantizer method is employed. Using the construction of probability distributions describing density operators of a quantum system states, the connection between the Feynman path integral and the time evolution of the density operator (Landau density matrix) as well as the wave function of the stateconsidered. For single–mode systems with continuous variables, a tomographic propagator is introduced in the probability representation of quantum mechanics. An explicit expression for the probability in terms of the Green function of the Schrödinger equation is obtained. Equations for the Green functions defined by arbitrary integrals of motion are derived. Examples of probability distributions describing the evolution of state of a free particle, as well as states of systems with integrals of motion that depend on time (oscillator type) are discussed.
In the standard formulation of quantum mechanics states of a system are described by wave functions or density operators . However quantum description of the system can be given in many other ways , for example, in Wigner-Moyal or Feynman formulations . All these representation are equivalent in the the sense of physical results, but the form of presentation of quantum mechanics is different as wave functions, Wigner-Liouville functions or other representations of density operators differ in essential way from each other. In this work we are dealing with Wigner and probability representation of quantum mechanics. The probability representations or tomography representation was recently proposed in terms of marginal distribution functions (MDF). MDF describing the quantum states are positive distribution functions connected with wave functions or density matrices by known integral transformation. Sign conservation of the of the MDF can be valuable in computer simulations to overcome the "sign problem". Important advantage of the probability representation is that the quantum transitions between quantum states are descried by non-negative probabilities. This work is devoted to the development of a new stochastic approaches to numerical solution of the evolution equations for Wigner-Liouviile (WL) and marginal distribution functions. To solve the WL equation we combine both molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo methods and compute traces of the dynamical operators. The results obtained for a system of electrons and random scatterers clearly demonstrate that the many-particle interaction between the electrons leads to an enhancement of the conductivity compared to the case of noninteracting electrons. To obtain evolution of MDF we developed new stochastic approach to solution of the generalized Langevin equation (GLE). GLE is derived from Kolmogorov equations for Green function of evolution equation for MDF. We discuss the basic relations and main ideas of this approach, compare obtained numerical results with results of independent finite-difference calculations for quantum oscillator and quantum particles crossing the finite well and tunneling through the Gaussian barrier.
A quantum mechanical representation suitable for studying the time evolution of quantum densities in phase space is proposed and examined in detail. This representation on ℒ2 (2) phase space is based on definitions of the operators P̂ and Q̂ in phase space that satisfy various correspondences for the Liouville equation in classical and quantum phase space, as well as quantum position and momentum ℒ2 (1) spaces. The definitions presented here, P̂=p/2−iℏ∂/∂q and Q̂=q/2+iℏ∂/∂p, are related to definitions that have been recently proposed [J. Chem. Phys. 93, 8862 (1990)]. The resulting quantum phase space representation shares many of the mathematical properties of usual representations in coordinate and momentum spaces. Within this representation, time evolution equations for complex-valued functions (wave functions) and their square magnitudes (distribution functions) are derived, and it is shown that the coordinate and momentum space time evolution equations can be recovered by a simple Fourier projection. The phase space quantum probability conservation equation obtained is a good illustration of the quantization rule that requires one to replace the classical Poisson bracket between the Hamiltonian and the probability density with the quantum commutator between the corresponding operators. The possible classical analogs to quantum probabilities densities are also considered and some of the present results are illustrated for the dynamics of the coherent state.
The probability representation of quantum mechanics where the system states are identified with fair probability distributions is reviewed for systems with continuous variables (the example of the oscillator) and discrete variables (the example of the qubit). The relation for the evolution of the probability distributions which determine quantum states with the Feynman path integral is found. The time-dependent phase of the wave function is related to the time-dependent probability distribution which determines the density matrix. The formal classical-like random variables associated with quantum observables for qubit systems are considered, and the connection of the statistics of the quantum observables with the classical statistics of the random variables is discussed.
In a former publication [D. Schuch and M. Moshinsky, Phys. Rev. A 73, 062111 (2006)] we have shown that the time evolution of a quantum system with at most quadratic Hamiltonian that can be described by different methods, namely, the time-dependent Schrödinger equation, the time propagator or Feynman kernel, and the Wigner function is connected via a dynamical invariant, the so-called Ermakov invariant. Since exact invariants of this type also exist for certain effective descriptions of dissipative quantum systems, we will show the relations between these descriptions and the corresponding invariants and will discuss how the results obtained for the conservative systems must be modified in the presence of a linear velocity dependent frictional force.
A short description of the notion of states of quantum systems in terms of conventional probability distribution function is presented. The notion and the structure of entangled probability distributions are clarified. The evolution of even and odd Schrödinger cat states of the inverted oscillator is obtained in the center-of-mass tomographic probability description of the two-mode oscillator. Evolution equations describing the time dependence of probability distributions identified with quantum system states are discussed. The connection with the Schrödinger equation and the von Neumann equation is clarified.