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An Uncertainty Relation for the Orbital Angular Momentum Operator

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Abstract

A common reducible representation space of the Lie algebras su(1, 1) and su(2) is equipped with two different types of scalar products. The representation bases are labeled by the azimuthal and magnetic quantum numbers. The generators of su(2) are the x-, y- and z-components of the orbital angular momentum operator. The representation of each of these Lie algebras is unitary with respect to only one of the scalar products. To each positive magnetic quantum number a family of the su(1, 1)-Barut–Girardello coherent states is associated. The normalization and resolution of the identity condition for the coherent states are realized in two different approaches, i.e. the unitary and the non-unitary approaches. For the coherent states of the non-unitary case we calculate the uncertainty relation for the Hermitian x- and y-components of the angular momentum operator. While the unitary case leads to the known uncertainty relation for the Hermitian x- and y-components of su(1, 1) Lie algebra.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics, Faculty of Physics, University of Tabriz, P. O. Box 51666-16471, Tabriz, Iran

    H. Fakhri & M. Sayyah-Fard

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  1. H. Fakhri
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  2. M. Sayyah-Fard
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Correspondence to H. Fakhri.

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Fakhri, H., Sayyah-Fard, M. An Uncertainty Relation for the Orbital Angular Momentum Operator. Found Phys 46, 1062–1073 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10701-016-9988-8

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