1995/12/29 by V. Alan Kostelecký, Alan Kostelecky, Bogdan Tudose · 1 citation
Computer Science · Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Angular momentum #Angular momentum coupling #Angular momentum operator #Bounded function #Classical mechanics #Compact operator #Complex conjugate #Computer science #Conjugate #Ladder operator #Mathematical analysis #Mathematics #Momentum operator #Operator (biology) #Physics #Quantum #Quantum Information and Cryptography #Quantum Mechanics and Applications #Quantum mechanics #Quantum optics and atomic interactions #Total angular momentum quantum number #Uncertainty principle #Wave packet #quant-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physreva.53.1978
published as Phys.Rev.A53:1978-1981,1996 · accepted for publication in Physical Review A
arxiv created 1995/12/29 · openalex publication_date 1996/04/01 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Uncertainty relations between a bounded coordinate operator and a conjugate momentum operator frequently appear in quantum mechanics. We prove that physically reasonable minimum-uncertainty solutions to such relations have quantized expectation values of the conjugate momentum. This implies, for example, that the mean angular momentum is quantized for any minimum-uncertainty state obtained from any uncertainty relation involving the angular-momentum operator and a conjugate coordinate. Experiments specifically seeking to create minimum-uncertainty states localized in angular coordinates therefore must produce packets with integer angular momentum. \textcopyright 1996 The American Physical Society.