Fermi's Trick and Symplectic Capacities: A Geometric Picture of Quantum States

arXiv1301.0923MaRDI QIDQ6238513FDOQ6238513

Authors: Maurice de Gosson, Serge M. De Gosson 

Publication date: 5 January 2013

Abstract: We extend the notion of quantum blob studied in previous work to excited states of the generalized harmonic oscillator in n dimensions. This extension is made possible by Fermi's observation in 1930 that the state of a quantum system may be defined in two different (but equivalent) ways, namely by its wavefunction {Psi} or by a certain function g_{F} on phase space canonically associated with {Psi}. We study Fermi's function when {Psi} is a Gaussian (generalized coherent state). A striking result is that we can use the Ekeland--Hofer symplectic capacities to characterize the Fermi functions of the excited states of the generalized harmonic oscillator, leading to new insight on the relationship between symplectic topology and quantum mechanics.

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