Finite two-dimensional oscillator: I. The Cartesian model

Abstract

A finite two-dimensional oscillator is built as the direct product of two finite one-dimensional oscillators, using the dynamical Lie algebra su(2)x⊕su(2)y. The position space in this model is a square grid of points. While the ordinary `continuous' two-dimensional quantum oscillator has a symmetry algebra u(2), the symmetry algebra of the finite model is only u(1)x⊕u(1)y, because it lacks rotations in the position (and momentum) plane. We show how to `import' an SO(2) group of rotations from the continuum model that transforms unitarily the finite wavefunctions on the fixed square grid. We thus propose a finite analogue for fractional U(2) Fourier transforms.