Quantum Phase and Quantum Phase Operators: Some Physics and Some History
High Energy Physics - Theory
2011-07-19 v1
Abstract
After reviewing the role of phase in quantum mechanics, I discuss, with the aid of a number of unpublished documents, the development of quantum phase operators in the 1960's. Interwoven in the discussion are the critical physics questions of the field: Are there (unique) quantum phase operators and are there quantum systems which can determine their nature? I conclude with a critique of recent proposals which have shed new light on the problem.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.hep-th/9304036,
title = {Quantum Phase and Quantum Phase Operators: Some Physics and Some History},
author = {Michael Martin Nieto},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:hep-th/9304036},
year = {2011}
}
Comments
19 pages, 2 Figs. taken from published articles, LaTeX, to be published in Physica Scripta, Los Alamos preprint LA-UR-92-3522