487

Algebra of bosonic operators

C.1
Exponential-operator disentangling

Let us briey summarize some basic rules of bosonic operator algebra.1 For
simplicity, we restrict our attention to operator functions F ( a , a ) of a single
harmonic oscillator,

[ a , a ] = 1.

(C.1)

The extension to multi-mode systems is straightforward. Note that operator

functions are understood in the sense of power-series expansions in the operators a and a . Let us rst consider an expression of the type
G (z; a , a ) = e a z F ( a, a )e a z ,

(C.2)

where z is a c-number variable. Expanding F ( a , a ) in a power series and performing the exponential-operator transformations step by step, by inserting
the identity operator I = e a z e a z into any pair of neighboring boson operators,
we readily verify that
G (z; a , a ) = F ( a , e az a e a z ).

(C.3)

We now differentiate G as given in Eq. (C.2) and use Eq. (C.3) to obtain
(z; a , a )
dG
= e a z [ a , F ( a , a )]e a z
dz
= [ a , G (z; a , a )] = [ a , F ( a , e a z a e a z )].

(C.4)

Equation (C.4) may be used to evaluate e a z a e a z . For this purpose, we

choose F = a , so that
G = e a z a e a z
1) For more details we refer the reader to standard text books on quantum mechanics.
Quantum Optics, Third, revised and extended edition. Werner Vogel and Dirk-Gunnar Welsch
Copyright 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim
ISBN: 3-527-40507-0

(C.5)

488

C Algebra of bosonic operators

and
dG
= e a z [ a , a ]e a z = 1.
dz

(C.6)

Since G |z=0 = a , from Eq. (C.6) we nd that

G = a + z.

(C.7)

Hence
e a z a e a z = a + z,
e a

a e a

(C.8)

= a + z .

(C.9)

Equation (C.8) [or (C.9)] is a special case of the BakerHausdorff lemma

Az =
e Az Be

zn
[ A, B]n ,
n!
n =0

(C.10)

where
B ]n = [ A,
[ A,
B ]n1 ],
[ A,

B ]0 = B,

[ A,

(C.11)

with A and B being arbitrary operators. It can be proved straightforwardly by

Az

power-series expansion in z of the operator e Az Be

.
We now return to Eq. (C.4). Using the relation (C.8), we may rewrite
Eq. (C.4) as
(z; a , a )
dG
= [ a , F ( a , a + z)].
dz
From this it is evident that
dG


= [ a , F ( a , a )].


dz z=0

(C.12)

(C.13)

On the other hand, from Eq. (C.3) together with Eq. (C.8), we nd that
G (z; a , a ) = F ( a , a + z),
and thus
dG


d F ( a , a + z)
F ( a , a )
= lim
=
.


dz z=0 z0
dz
a

(C.14)

(C.15)

Comparing Eqs (C.13) and (C.15), we obtain the relation

F ( a , a )
[ a , F ( a, a )] =
.
a

(C.16)

C.1 Exponential-operator disentangling

The relation

[ F ( a , a ), a ] =

F ( a , a )
a

(C.17)

can be proved analogously.

Let us now consider an exponential operator of the form


G (z; a , a ) = exp [ F1 ( a , a ) + F2 ( a , a )]z

(C.18)

and seek a representation of G in the form of a product of two operator expo we make the ansatz
nentials. To nd this disentangled form of G,
G (z; a , a ) = G 1 (z; a , a ) G 2 (z; a , a ),

(C.19)

G 1 (z; a , a ) = exp[ F1 ( a , a )z].

(C.20)

From Eqs (C.18) and (C.19) it follows that G 2 obeys the differential equation
dG 2
= F2 G 2 ,
dz

Fi = G 11 Fi G 1

(C.21)

(i = 1, 2). As is well known, the solution of Eq. (C.21) (with the initial condition
G 2 |z=0 = 1) may be written in the form of the Z -ordered exponential (z, real
number)
G 2 (z; a , a ) = Z exp



z
0


dz F2 (z ; a , a ) ,

(C.22)

where the Z ordering is dened by

Z F2 (z1 ; a , a ) F2 (z2 ; a , a ) =


F2 (z1 ; a , a ) F2 (z2 ; a , a )

if

z1 > z2 ,


F2 (z2 ; a , a ) F2 (z1 ; a , a )

if

z2 > z1 .
(C.23)

The operator F2 obviously satises the differential equation

d F2
= G 11 [ F2 , F1 ] G 1 = [ F2 , F1 ].
dz

(C.24)

If the commutator [ F2 , F1 ] is a c number, that is, [ F2 , F1 ] = , from Eq. (C.24)

it follows that F2 = F2 + z (note that the initial condition F2 |z=0 = F2 holds).
Substituting this expression into Eq. (C.22), we can readily see that, in the
present case, the Z -ordering symbol can be omitted and the integration over
z can be performed directly in the exponent. In this way we derive


G 2 = exp F2 z + 12 z2 ,
(C.25)

489

490

C Algebra of bosonic operators

so that Eqs (C.18)(C.20) lead to the disentangling prescription2


exp( F1 z + F2 z) = exp( F1 z) exp( F2 z) exp 12 [ F2 , F1 ]z2 ,

(C.26)

which for z = 1 yields the well-known BakerCampbellHausdorff formula.

Making the identications F1 = 1 a and F2 = 2 a (with 1 and 2 being
c numbers), we can easily see that Eq. (C.26) leads to the relation (z = 1)
e1 a

2 a

= e1 a e2 a e 2 1 2 .

(C.27)

C.2
Normal and anti-normal ordering

In quantum optics, various kinds of operator ordering play an important role.

In this context it is often useful, and in certain cases necessary, to bring operator functions into a given order. Let us consider the normal ordering indicated
by the N symbol or the : : notation, which means ordering of the operators a
and a with the (creation) operators a to the left of the (annihilation) operators. To bring a given operator function F ( a , a ) into its normally ordered
form F (N) ( a, a ) [by means of the commutation relation (C.1)], the operators a
and a in F ( a , a ) must be rearranged in such a way that
F ( a , a ) = F (N) ( a, a ) = : F (N) ( a , a ) : .

(C.28)

An example is given in Eq. (C.27). To formulate a general rule, let us consider

an operator function
F ( a , a ) = a G ( a , a )

(C.29)

and assume that the normally ordered form G (N) of the operator G is known,
so that
F ( a , a ) = a G (N) ( a , a ),

(C.30)

which may be rewritten as

F ( a , a ) = [ a , G (N) ( a , a )] + G (N) ( a , a ) a .

(C.31)

Using Eq. (C.16) yields

G (N) ( a, a )
+ G (N) ( a , a ) a .
F ( a , a ) =
a
2) For a large variety of examples of disentangling prescriptions, see
Wilcox (1967).

(C.32)

C.2 Normal and anti-normal ordering

The expression on the right-hand side of Eq. (C.32) obviously represents the
operator F in normal order. We may therefore write


G (N) ( a, a )
(N) ( a , a ) a = : a +
F ( a , a ) =
+
G (N) ( a , a ) : .
G
a
a
Clearly, since in G (N) the operators a are to the left of the operators a , the
latter may be replaced by a + / a :





(C.33)
F (N) ( a , a ) = : a + G (N) a + , a : .
a
a
Recalling Eq. (C.30), we nally arrive at the result that


F (N) ( a , a ) = : F a + , a : .
a

(C.34)

It is worth noting that this derivation implies that Eq. (C.34) not only applies
to the particular operator function in Eq. (C.29) but to any operator function
allowing power-series expansion. In the derivation of Eq. (C.34) we started
from an operator function of the form F ( a , a ) = a G ( a , a ). If we start from
F ( a, a ) = G ( a , a ) a then, on the basis of similar arguments, it may be shown
that an operator function F can also be brought into normal order by applying
the relation


F (N) ( a , a ) = : F a , a +
:.
(C.35)
a

In contrast to Eq. (C.34), in Eq. (C.35) the operators a are replaced by a +

/ a , where the arrow indicates that / a must be thought of as acting on the

a operators to its left.

We nally note that the case of anti-normal order can be treated quite similarly. An operator function is said to be in anti-normal order when the operators a and a are ordered with the operators a to the right of the operators a . We indicate this kind of ordering prescription by the A symbol or the
notation. To bring a given operator function F ( a , a ) into the anti-normally
ordered form F (A) ( a, a ),
F ( a , a ) = F (A) ( a , a ) = F (A) ( a , a ),
we may use, in close analogy to Eqs (C.34) and (C.35), the relations


( A)

F ( a , a ) = F a , a
,
a


F (A) ( a , a ) = F a , a .
a

(C.36)

(C.37)
(C.38)

491

492

References

References
Wilcox, R.M. (1967) J. Math. Phys. 8, 962.