Lissajous coherent states via projection

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Russo, Errico J., Schneeloch, James, Hach III, Edwin E., Birrittella, Richard J., Vargas, Wanda, Gerry, Christopher C.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Russo, Errico J.
Schneeloch, James
Hach III, Edwin E.
Birrittella, Richard J.
Vargas, Wanda
Gerry, Christopher C.
author_facet Russo, Errico J.
Schneeloch, James
Hach III, Edwin E.
Birrittella, Richard J.
Vargas, Wanda
Gerry, Christopher C.
contents We construct stationary coherent states concentrated on Lissajous figures of the isotropic and anisotropic harmonic oscillators, the latter having coprime frequencies, by projecting products of ordinary coherent states (one coherent state for each degree of freedom) onto sets of degenerate states. By performing these projections, we are deriving our states from sets of coherent states that are known to follow the classical motion of a two-dimensional harmonic oscillator for arbitrary frequencies. We clarify the nature of any singularities present in the phase of the wavefunction for each of the states we derive, and we establish a rigorous connection between the laminar flow of probability current and the emergence of quantum interference. Through this analysis, we are able to provide a clear and quantifiable definition for a vortex state of the two-dimensional harmonic oscillator (2DHO). In an appendix, we show that our stationary states are true coherent states as they can be used to resolve the relevant identity operators (the above mentioned projection operators) on their respective degenerate subspaces. In the special case of the isotropic oscillator, the states obtained are the SU(2) coherent states, and we derive from our formalism the familiar resolution of unity for these states.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2603_00788
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Lissajous coherent states via projection
Russo, Errico J.
Schneeloch, James
Hach III, Edwin E.
Birrittella, Richard J.
Vargas, Wanda
Gerry, Christopher C.
Quantum Physics
Mathematical Physics
We construct stationary coherent states concentrated on Lissajous figures of the isotropic and anisotropic harmonic oscillators, the latter having coprime frequencies, by projecting products of ordinary coherent states (one coherent state for each degree of freedom) onto sets of degenerate states. By performing these projections, we are deriving our states from sets of coherent states that are known to follow the classical motion of a two-dimensional harmonic oscillator for arbitrary frequencies. We clarify the nature of any singularities present in the phase of the wavefunction for each of the states we derive, and we establish a rigorous connection between the laminar flow of probability current and the emergence of quantum interference. Through this analysis, we are able to provide a clear and quantifiable definition for a vortex state of the two-dimensional harmonic oscillator (2DHO). In an appendix, we show that our stationary states are true coherent states as they can be used to resolve the relevant identity operators (the above mentioned projection operators) on their respective degenerate subspaces. In the special case of the isotropic oscillator, the states obtained are the SU(2) coherent states, and we derive from our formalism the familiar resolution of unity for these states.
title Lissajous coherent states via projection
topic Quantum Physics
Mathematical Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.00788