Quadratic Hamiltonians in phase-space quantum mechanics

Abstract

The dynamical evolution is described within the phase-space formalism by means of the Moyal propagator, which is the symbol of the evolution operator. Quadratic Hamiltonians on the phase space are distinguished in that their Moyal bracket with any function equals their Poisson bracket. It is shown that, for general time-independent quadratic Hamiltonians, the Moyal propagators transform covariantly under linear canonical transformations; they are then derived and classified in a fully explicit manner using the theory of Hamiltonian normal forms. The authors present several tables of propagators. It is proved that these propagators belong to the Moyal algebra of distributions, and that the spectrum of the Hamiltonian may be obtained directly as the support of the Fourier transform of the Moyal propagator with respect to time. From that, the quantum-mechanical problem for these Hamiltonians is, in principle, completely solved. The appropriate path-integral formalism for phase-space quantum mechanics, leading back to the same results, is outlined in an appendix.