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arxiv: 1201.3838 · v1 · pith:MPGUWEWTnew · submitted 2012-01-18 · ✦ hep-th · math-ph· math.MP· quant-ph

Matrix representation of the time operator

classification ✦ hep-th math-phmath.MPquant-ph
keywords thetaoperatortimehamiltonianmatrixelementshomogeneousrepresentation
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In quantum mechanics the time operator $\Theta$ satisfies the commutation relation $[\Theta,H]=i$, and thus it may be thought of as being canonically conjugate to the Hamiltonian $H$. The time operator associated with a given Hamiltonian $H$ is not unique because one can replace $\Theta$ by $\Theta+ \Theta_{\rm hom}$, where $\Theta_{\rm hom}$ satisfies the homogeneous condition $[\Theta_{\rm hom},H]=0$. To study this nonuniqueness the matrix elements of $\Theta$ for the harmonic-oscillator Hamiltonian are calculated in the eigenstate basis. This calculation requires the summation of divergent series, and the summation is accomplished by using zeta-summation techniques. It is shown that by including appropriate homogeneous contributions, the matrix elements of $\Theta$ simplify dramatically. However, it is still not clear whether there is an optimally simple representation of the time operator.

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