Published January 2010
| Version v1
Journal article
Non-negative Wigner functions for orbital angular momentum states
- 1. Departamento de Optica, Facultad de Fisica, Universidad Complutense, E-28040 Madrid (Spain)
- 2. Departamento de Fisica, Universidad de Guadalajara, 44420 Guadalajara, Jalisco (Mexico)
- 3. Department of Optics, Palacky University, 17. listopadu 50, CZ-772 00 Olomouc (Czech Republic)
Description
The Wigner function of a pure continuous-variable quantum state is non-negative if and only if the state is Gaussian. Here we show that for the canonical pair angle and angular momentum, the only pure states with non-negative Wigner functions are the eigenstates of the angular momentum. Some implications of this surprising result are discussed.
Additional details
Identifiers
- DOI
- 10.1103/PhysRevA.81.012101;
- arXiv
- arXiv:0909.1887v2;
Publishing Information
- Journal Title
- Physical Review. A
- Journal Volume
- 81
- Journal Issue
- 1
- Journal Page Range
- p. 012101-012101.4
- ISSN
- 1050-2947
- CODEN
- PLRAAN
INIS
- Country of Publication
- United States
- Country of Input or Organization
- International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
- INIS RN
- 42001303
- Subject category
- S71: CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS;
- Descriptors DEI
- EIGENSTATES; FUNCTIONS; ORBITAL ANGULAR MOMENTUM; WIGNER DISTRIBUTION
- Descriptors DEC
- ANGULAR MOMENTUM
Optional Information
- Notes
- (c) 2010 The American Physical Society