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arxiv: 1202.3628 · v4 · pith:XMJEC7IDnew · submitted 2012-02-16 · 🪐 quant-ph · math-ph· math.MP· physics.atom-ph

Wigner phase space distribution as a wave function

classification 🪐 quant-ph math-phmath.MPphysics.atom-ph
keywords functionwignerclassicalprobabilitywaveamplitudedistributionphase
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We demonstrate that the Wigner function of a pure quantum state is a wave function in a specially tuned Dirac bra-ket formalism and argue that the Wigner function is in fact a probability amplitude for the quantum particle to be at a certain point of the classical phase space. Additionally, we establish that in the classical limit, the Wigner function transforms into a classical Koopman-von Neumann wave function rather than into a classical probability distribution. Since probability amplitude need not be positive, our findings provide an alternative outlook on the Wigner function's negativity.

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