Nth (even)-order minimum uncertainty products
Robert Lynch, Harry A. Mavromatis · Journal of Mathematical Physics · 1990
This paper considers the problem of finding the quantum states that minimize the products of the (even) Nth-order fluctuation of two canonically conjugate operators. The problem is first attacked in an abstract form and an equation derived for the desired states. A consideration of the N=2 case then leads to a connection with the new concept of ‘‘squeezed states’’ of the electromagnetic field, and the usual exact solution involving the coherent state. The concept of ‘‘higher-order squeezing’’ is touched on to motivate the further discussion. The cases N=4, 6, and 8 are then taken up, and approximate solutions to them found via a new numerical technique. During these calculations, it is noted that only the first few terms in the expansion in number states figure in the solution; this observation is then exploited to find an approximate closed solution to the problem valid for all N.