Searcharxiv⌕ Search

arXiv subjects

Kurt Bernardo Wolf

Publications and source records attributed to Kurt Bernardo Wolf.

15 recordsLinked to original sources

Arbitrary unitary rotation of three-dimensional pixellated images

Using the coefficients introduced by Bargmann and Moshinsky for the reduction of the su($3$) algebra of Cartesian three-dimensional oscillator multiplet states into so($3$) angular momentum submultiplets, we implement unitary rotations of three-dimensional Cartesian arrays that form finite pixellated "volume images." Transforming between the Cartesian and spherical bases, the subgroup of rotations in the latter is converted into rotations of the former, allowing for proper concatenation and inversion of these unitary transformations, which entail no loss of information.

physics.comp-ph↗

Unitary rotation of pixellated polychromatic images

Unitary rotations of polychromatic images on finite two-dimensional pixellated screens provide invertibility, group composition, and thus conservation of information. Rotations have been applied on monochromatic image data sets, where we now examine closer the Gibbs-like oscillations that appear due to discrete "discontinuities" of the input images under unitary transformations. Extended to three-color images we examine here the display of color at the pixels where, due to the oscillations, some pixel color values may fall outside their required common numerical range [0, 1], between absence and saturation of the red, green, and blue formant color images.

eess.IV↗

Discrete Bessel and Mathieu functions

The two-dimensional Helmholtz equation separates in elliptic coordinates based on two distinct foci, a limit case of which includes polar coordinate systems when the two foci coalesce. This equation is invariant under the Euclidean group of translations and orthogonal transformations; we replace the latter by the discrete dihedral group of N discrete rotations and reflections. The separation of variables in polar and elliptic coordinates is then used to define discrete Bessel and Mathieu functions, as approximants to the well-known continuous Bessel and Mathieu functions, as N-point Fourier transforms approximate the Fourier transform over the circle, with integrals replaced by finite sums. We find that these 'discrete' functions approximate the numerical values of their continuous counterparts very closely and preserve some key special function relations.

math-ph↗

Discrete Bessel functions and transform

We present a straightforward discretization of the Bessel functions $J_n(x)$ to discrete counterparts $B^{(N)}_n(x_m)$, of $N$ integer orders $n$ on $N$ integer points $x_m \equiv m$, that we call discrete Bessel functions. These are built from a Bessel integral generating function, restricting the Fourier transform over the circle to $N$ points. We show that the discrete Bessel functions satisfy several linear and quadratic relations, particularly Graf's product-displacement formulas, that are exact analogues of well-known relations between the continuous functions. It is noteworthy that these discrete Bessel functions approximate very closely the values of the continuous functions in ranges $n + |m| < N$. For fixed $N$, this provides an $N$-point transform between functions of order and of position,$f_n$ and $\widetilde{f}_m$, which is efficient for the Fourier analysis of finite decaying signals.

math-ph↗

Interbasis expansions in the Zernike system

The differential equation with free boundary conditions on the unit disk that was proposed by Frits Zernike in 1934 to find Jacobi polynomial solutions (indicated as I), serves to define a classical and a quantum system which have been found to be superintegrable. We have determined two new orthogonal polynomial solutions (indicated as II and III) that are separable, and which involve Legendre and Gegenbauer polynomials. Here we report on their three interbasis expansion coefficients: between the I--II and I--III bases they are given by $_3F_2(\cdots|1)$ polynomials that are also special su($2$) Clebsch-Gordan coefficients and Hahn polynomials. Between the II--III bases, we find an xpansion expressed by $_4F_3(\cdots|1)$'s and Racah polynomials that are related to the Wigner $6j$ coefficients.

math-ph↗

New separated polynomial solutions to the Zernike system on the unit disk and interbasis expansion

The differential equation proposed by Frits Zernike to obtain a basis of polynomial orthogonal solutions on the the unit disk to classify wavefront aberrations in circular pupils, is shown to have a set of new orthonormal solution bases, involving Legendre and Gegenbauer polynomials, in non-orthogonal coordinates close to Cartesian ones. We find the overlaps between the original Zernike basis and a representative of the new set, which turn out to be Clebsch-Gordan coefficients.

math-ph↗

Superintegrable classical Zernike system

We consider the differential equation that Zernike proposed to classify aberrations of wavefronts in a circular pupil, as if it were a classical Hamiltonian with a non-standard potential. The trajectories turn out to be closed ellipses. We show that this is due to the existence of higher-order invariants that close into a cubic Higgs algebra. The Zernike classical system thus belongs to the class of superintegrable systems. Its Hamilton-Jacobi action separates in three vertical projections of polar coordinates of a sphere, polar and equidistant coordinates on half-hyperboloids, and also in elliptic coordinates on the sphere.

math-ph↗

Quantum superintegrable Zernike system

We consider the differential equation that Zernike proposed to classify aberrations of wavefronts in a circular pupil, whose value at the boundary can be nonzero. On this account the quantum Zernike system, where that differential equation is seen as a Schrödinger equation with a potential, is special in that it has a potential and boundary condition that are not standard in quantum mechanics. We project the disk on a half-sphere and there we find that, in addition to polar coordinates, this system separates in two additional coordinate systems (non-orthogonal on the pupil disk), which lead to Schrödinger-type equations with Pöschl-Teller potentials, whose eigen-solutions involve Legendre, Gegenbauer and Jacobi polynomials. This provides new expressions for separated polynomial solutions of the original Zernike system that are real. The operators which provide the separation constants are found to participate in a superintegrable cubic Higgs algebra.

math-ph↗

Unitary rotation and gyration of pixellated images on rectangular screens

In the two space dimensions of screens in optical sy stems, rotations, gyrations, and fractional Fourier transformations form the Fourier subgroup of the symplectic group of linear canonical transformations: U(2) F $\subset$ Sp(4,R). Here we study the action of this Fourier group on pixellated images within generic rectangular $N_x$ $\times$ $N_y$ screens; its elements here compose properly and act unitarily, i.e., without loss of information.

math-ph↗

A Top-Down Account of Linear Canonical Transforms

We contend that what are called Linear Canonical Transforms (LCTs) should be seen as a part of the theory of unitary irreducible representations of the '2+1' Lorentz group. The integral kernel representation found by Collins, Moshinsky and Quesne, and the radial and hyperbolic LCTs introduced thereafter, belong to the discrete and continuous representation series of the Lorentz group in its parabolic subgroup reduction. The reduction by the elliptic and hyperbolic subgroups can also be considered to yield LCTs that act on functions, discrete or continuous in other Hilbert spaces. We gather the summation and integration kernels reported by Basu and Wolf when studiying all discrete, continuous, and mixed representations of the linear group of $2\times 2$ real matrices. We add some comments on why all should be considered canonical.

math-ph↗

The Fourier U(2) Group and Separation of Discrete Variables

The linear canonical transformations of geometric optics on two-dimensional screens form the group $Sp(4,R)$, whose maximal compact subgroup is the Fourier group $U(2)_F$; this includes isotropic and anisotropic Fourier transforms, screen rotations and gyrations in the phase space of ray positions and optical momenta. Deforming classical optics into a Hamiltonian system whose positions and momenta range over a finite set of values, leads us to the finite oscillator model, which is ruled by the Lie algebra $so(4)$. Two distinct subalgebra chains are used to model arrays of $N^2$ points placed along Cartesian or polar (radius and angle) coordinates, thus realizing one case of separation in two discrete coordinates. The $N^2$-vectors in this space are digital (pixellated) images on either of these two grids, related by a unitary transformation. Here we examine the unitary action of the analogue Fourier group on such images, whose rotations are particularly visible.

math-ph↗

SU(2) and SU(1,1) Approaches to Phase Operators and Temporally Stable Phase States: Applications to Mutually Unbiased Bases and Discrete Fourier Transforms

We propose a group-theoretical approach to the generalized oscillator algebra Ak recently investigated in J. Phys. A: Math. Theor. 43 (2010) 115303. The case k > or 0 corresponds to the noncompact group SU(1,1) (as for the harmonic oscillator and the Poeschl-Teller systems) while the case k < 0 is described by the compact group SU(2) (as for the Morse system). We construct the phase operators and the corresponding temporally stable phase eigenstates for Ak in this group-theoretical context. The SU(2) case is exploited for deriving families of mutually unbiased bases used in quantum information. Along this vein, we examine some characteristics of a quadratic discrete Fourier transform in connection with generalized quadratic Gauss sums and generalized Hadamard matrices.

quant-ph↗

Discrete quantum model of the harmonic oscillator

We construct a new model of the quantum oscillator, whose energy spectrum is equally-spaced and lower-bounded, whereas the spectra of position and momentum are a denumerable non-degenerate set of points in [-1,1] that depends on the deformation parameter q from (0,1). We provide its explicit wavefunctions, both in position and momentum representations, in terms of the discrete q-Hermite polynomials. We build a Hilbert space with a unique measure, where an analogue of the fractional Fourier transform is defined in order to govern the time evolution of this discrete oscillator. In the limit q to 1, one recovers the ordinary quantum harmonic oscillator.

math-ph↗

Finite q-oscillator

The finite q-oscillator is a model that obeys the dynamics of the harmonic oscillator, with the operators of position, momentum and Hamiltonian being functions of elements of the q-algebra su_q(2). The spectrum of position in this discrete system, in a fixed representation j, consists of 2j+1 "sensor"-points x_s=(1/2)[2s]_q, s=-j, -j+1,..., j, and similarly for the momentum observable. The spectrum of energies is finite and equally spaced, so the system supports coherent states. The wave functions involve dual q-Kravchuk polynomials, which are solutions to a finite-difference Schrodinger equation. Time evolution (times a phase) defines the fractional Fourier-q-Kravchuk transform. In the classical limit q -> 1 we recover the finite oscillator Lie algebra, the N=2j -> infinity limit returns the Macfarlane-Biedenharn q-oscillator and both limits contract the generators to the standard quantum-mechanical oscillator.

math-ph↗

Wigner functions for curved spaces I: On hyperboloids

We propose a Wigner quasiprobability distribution function for Hamiltonian systems in spaces of constant curvature --in this paper on hyperboloids--, which returns the correct marginals and has the covariance of the Shapiro functions under SO(D,1) transformations. To the free systems obeying the Laplace-Beltrami equation on the hyperboloid, we add a conic-oscillator potential in the hyperbolic coordinate. As an example, we analyze the 1-dimensional case on a hyperbola branch, where this conic-oscillator is the Poschl-Teller potential. We present the analytical solutions and plot the computed results. The standard theory of quantum oscillators is regained in the contraction limit to the space of zero curvature.

quant-ph↗