Geometric phase and in-phase superpositions: A fresh perspective on interference in phase space

Abstract

We apply geometric phase ideas to coherent states to shed light on interference phenomenon in the phase space description of continuous variable Cartesian quantum systems. The motivating idea is Pancharatnam's concept of two Hilbert space vectors being ’’in phase”. This leads to special sums and integrals of vectors which are locally in-phase superpositions. Geometric phase considerations naturally lead to the emergence of phase space areas. Applied to the overcomplete family of coherent states, we are led to preferred in-phase integral representations for various states of physical significance, such as the position, momentum and Fock states as well as the squeezed vacuum state. Interestingly, the Husimi-Kano Q function is maximized along the line of such superpositions. We also get a fresh perspective on the Bohr-Sommerfeld quantization condition. Finally, we use our exact integral representations to obtain asymptotic expansions for state overlaps and matrix elements, leading to phase space area considerations similar to the ones noted earlier in the seminal works of Schleich, Wheeler and collaborators, but now from a geometric phase perspective.