Generalized creation and annihilation operators via complex nonlinear Riccati equations

Abstract

Based on Gaussian wave packet solutions of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation, a generalization of the conventional creation and annihilation operators and the corresponding coherent states can be obtained. This generalization includes systems where also the width of the coherent states is time-dependent as they occur for harmonic oscillators with time-dependent frequency or systems in contact with a dissipative environment. The key point is the replacement of the frequency ω0 that occurs in the usual definition of the creation/annihilation operator by a complex time-dependent function that fulfils a nonlinear Riccati equation. This equation and its solutions depend on the system under consideration and on the (complex) initial conditions. Formal similarities also exist with supersymmetric quantum mechanics. The generalized creation and annihilation operators also allow to construct exact analytic solutions of the free motion Schrödinger equation in terms of Hermite polynomials with time-dependent variable. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.