Non-negative Wigner functions for orbital angular momentum states

Journal Article · Fri Jan 15 00:00:00 EST 2010 · Physical Review. A

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVA.81.012101· OSTI ID:21408142

Rigas, I; Sanchez-Soto, L L ^[1]; Klimov, A B ^[2]; Rehacek, J; Hradil, Z ^[3]

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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)

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.

• OSTI ID: 21408142
• Journal Information: Physical Review. A, Vol. 81, Issue 1; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.81.012101; (c) 2010 The American Physical Society; ISSN 1050-2947
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
EIGENSTATES
FUNCTIONS
ORBITAL ANGULAR MOMENTUM
WIGNER DISTRIBUTION
ANGULAR MOMENTUM