English

Wigner function for discrete phase space: exorcising ghost images

Quantum Physics 2009-11-11 v1

Abstract

We construct, using simple geometrical arguments, a Wigner function defined on a discrete phase space of arbitrary integer Hilbert-space dimension that is free of redundancies. ``Ghost images'' plaguing other Wigner functions for discrete phase spaces are thus revealed as artifacts. It allows to devise a corresponding phase-space propagator in an unambiguous manner. We apply our definitions to eigenstates and propagator of the quantum baker map. Scars on unstable periodic points of the corresponding classical map become visible with unprecedented resolution.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.quant-ph/0504210,
  title  = {Wigner function for discrete phase space: exorcising ghost images},
  author = {Arturo Argüelles and Thomas Dittrich},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:quant-ph/0504210},
  year   = {2009}
}

Comments

6 pages, two figures