Contents

Quantum geometry

Set of mathematical concepts propagating geometric concepts

Part of a series of articles about
Quantum mechanics
${\displaystyle i\hbar {\frac {d}{dt}}|\Psi \rangle ={\hat {H}}|\Psi \rangle }$ Schrödinger equation
Introduction Glossary History
Background Classical mechanics Old quantum theory Bra–ket notation Hamiltonian Interference
Fundamentals Complementarity Decoherence Entanglement Energy level Measurement Nonlocality Quantum number State Superposition Symmetry Tunnelling Uncertainty Wave function Collapse
Experiments Bell's inequality CHSH inequality Davisson–Germer Double-slit Elitzur–Vaidman Franck–Hertz Leggett inequality Leggett–Garg inequality Mach–Zehnder Popper Quantum eraser Delayed-choice Schrödinger's cat Stern–Gerlach Wheeler's delayed-choice
Formulations Overview Heisenberg Interaction Matrix Phase-space Schrödinger Sum-over-histories (path integral)
Equations Dirac Klein–Gordon Pauli Rydberg Schrödinger
Interpretations Bayesian Consistent histories Copenhagen de Broglie–Bohm Ensemble Hidden-variable Local Superdeterminism Many-worlds Objective-collapse Quantum logic Relational Transactional Von Neumann–Wigner
Advanced topics Relativistic quantum mechanics Quantum field theory Quantum information science Quantum computing Quantum chaos EPR paradox Density matrix Scattering theory Quantum statistical mechanics Quantum machine learning
Scientists Aharonov Bell Bethe Blackett Bloch Bohm Bohr Born Bose de Broglie Compton Dirac Davisson Debye Ehrenfest Einstein Everett Fock Fermi Feynman Glauber Gutzwiller Heisenberg Hilbert Jordan Kramers Lamb Landau Laue Moseley Millikan Onnes Pauli Planck Rabi Raman Rydberg Schrödinger Simmons Sommerfeld von Neumann Weyl Wien Wigner Zeeman Zeilinger
v t e

Intheoretical physics, quantum geometry is the set of mathematical concepts generalizing the concepts of geometry whose understanding is necessary to describe the physical phenomena at distance scales comparable to the Planck length. At these distances, quantum mechanics has a profound effect on physical phenomena.

Quantum gravity[edit]

Each theory of quantum gravity uses the term "quantum geometry" in a slightly different fashion. String theory, a leading candidate for a quantum theory of gravity, uses the term quantum geometry to describe exotic phenomena such as T-duality and other geometric dualities, mirror symmetry, topology-changing transitions^{[clarification needed]}, minimal possible distance scale, and other effects that challenge intuition. More technically, quantum geometry refers to the shape of a spacetime manifold as experienced by D-branes which includes quantum corrections to the metric tensor, such as the worldsheet instantons. For example, the quantum volume of a cycle is computed from the mass of a brane wrapped on this cycle.

In an alternative approach to quantum gravity called loop quantum gravity (LQG), the phrase "quantum geometry" usually refers to the formalism within LQG where the observables that capture the information about the geometry are now well defined operators on a Hilbert space. In particular, certain physical observables, such as the area, have a discrete spectrum. It has also been shown that the loop quantum geometry is non-commutative.^[1]

It is possible (but considered unlikely) that this strictly quantized understanding of geometry will be consistent with the quantum picture of geometry arising from string theory.

Another, quite successful, approach, which tries to reconstruct the geometry of space-time from "first principles" is Discrete Lorentzian quantum gravity.

Quantum states as differential forms[edit]

Differential forms are used to express quantum states, using the wedge product:^[2]

${\displaystyle |\psi \rangle =\int \psi (\mathbf {x} ,t)\,|\mathbf {x} ,t\rangle \,\mathrm {d} ^{3}\mathbf {x} }$

where the position vectoris

${\displaystyle \mathbf {x} =(x^{1},x^{2},x^{3})}$

the differential volume elementis

${\displaystyle \mathrm {d} ^{3}\mathbf {x} =\mathrm {d} x^{1}\!\wedge \mathrm {d} x^{2}\!\wedge \mathrm {d} x^{3}}$

and x¹, x², x³ are an arbitrary set of coordinates, the upper indices indicate contravariance, lower indices indicate covariance, so explicitly the quantum state in differential form is:

${\displaystyle |\psi \rangle =\int \psi (x^{1},x^{2},x^{3},t)\,|x^{1},x^{2},x^{3},t\rangle \,\mathrm {d} x^{1}\!\wedge \mathrm {d} x^{2}\!\wedge \mathrm {d} x^{3}}$

The overlap integral is given by:

${\displaystyle \langle \chi |\psi \rangle =\int \chi ^{*}\psi ~\mathrm {d} ^{3}\mathbf {x} }$

in differential form this is

${\displaystyle \langle \chi |\psi \rangle =\int \chi ^{*}\psi ~\mathrm {d} x^{1}\!\wedge \mathrm {d} x^{2}\!\wedge \mathrm {d} x^{3}}$

The probability of finding the particle in some region of space R is given by the integral over that region:

${\displaystyle \langle \psi |\psi \rangle =\int _{R}\psi ^{*}\psi ~\mathrm {d} x^{1}\!\wedge \mathrm {d} x^{2}\!\wedge \mathrm {d} x^{3}}$

provided the wave function is normalized. When R is all of 3d position space, the integral must be 1 if the particle exists.

Differential forms are an approach for describing the geometry of curves and surfaces in a coordinate independent way. In quantum mechanics, idealized situations occur in rectangular Cartesian coordinates, such as the potential well, particle in a box, quantum harmonic oscillator, and more realistic approximations in spherical polar coordinates such as electronsinatoms and molecules. For generality, a formalism which can be used in any coordinate system is useful.

See also[edit]

• Noncommutative geometry
• Quantum spacetime

References[edit]

Further reading[edit]

• Supersymmetry, Demystified, P. Labelle, McGraw-Hill (USA), 2010, ISBN 978-0-07-163641-4
• Quantum Mechanics, E. Abers, Pearson Ed., Addison Wesley, Prentice Hall Inc, 2004, ISBN 9780131461000
• Quantum Mechanics Demystified, D. McMahon, Mc Graw Hill (USA), 2006, ISBN 0-07-145546 9
• Quantum Field Theory, D. McMahon, Mc Graw Hill (USA), 2008, ISBN 978-0-07-154382-8

External links[edit]

• Space and Time: From Antiquity to Einstein and Beyond
• Quantum Geometry and its Applications