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Characterizing the Kirkwood-Dirac positivity on second countable LCA groups

Quantum Physics 2026-02-23 v3 Mathematical Physics Functional Analysis Group Theory math.MP

Abstract

We define the Kirkwood-Dirac quasiprobability representation of quantum mechanics associated with the Fourier transform over second countable locally compact abelian groups. We discuss its link with the Kohn-Nirenberg quantization of the phase space G×G^G\times \widehat{G}. We use it to argue that in this abstract setting the Wigner-Weyl quantization, when it exists, can still be interpreted as a symmetric ordering. Then, we identify all generalized (non-normalizable) pure states having a positive Kirkwood-Dirac distribution. They are, up to the natural action of the Weyl-Heisenberg group, Haar measures on closed subgroups. This generalizes a result known for finite abelian groups. We then show that the classical fragment of quantum mechanics associated with the Kirkwood-Dirac distribution is non-trivial if and only if the group has a compact identity component. Finally, we provide for connected compact abelian groups a complete geometric description of this classical fragment.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2507.23628,
  title  = {Characterizing the Kirkwood-Dirac positivity on second countable LCA groups},
  author = {Matéo Spriet},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2507.23628},
  year   = {2026}
}

Comments

32 pages

R2 v1 2026-07-01T04:28:00.567Z