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Is this eigenstate a tensor product or a direct sum?

Physics Asked on May 20, 2021

Is $|mathbf rrangle$, the state of being exactly at $mathbf r$, a direct sum or a tensor product of $|xrangle$, $|yrangle$ and $|zrangle$. The same question for $|mathbf prangle$. Now my attempt is the following:

If it were a direct sum, i.e. $|mathbf rrangle = |xrangle +|yrangle + |zrangle$ then the position operator may be $mathbf{hat r} = hat x oplus hat y oplus hat z$, that is a direct sum of the operators on $X = Y = Z = mathbb R$, such that
$$
hat x oplus hat y oplus hat z:Xoplus Y oplus Z to Xoplus Y oplus Z,
$$

begin{align}
|xrangle +|yrangle + |zrangle mapsto & (hat x oplus hat y oplus hat z)(|xrangle +|yrangle + |zrangle)
&= hat x|xrangle + hat y|yrangle + hat z|zrangle
&= x|xrangle + y|yrangle + z|zrangle
end{align}

But if it were a tensor product, i.e. $|mathbf rrangle = |xrangle otimes |yrangle otimes |zrangle$, then $mathbf{hat r} = hat x otimes hat y otimes hat z$
$$
hat x otimes hat y otimes hat z:Xotimes Y otimes Z to Xotimes Y otimes Z,
$$

begin{align}
|xrangle otimes |yrangle otimes |zrangle mapsto & (hat x otimes hat y otimes hat z)(|xrangle otimes |yrangle otimes |zrangle)
&= hat x|xrangle otimes hat y|yrangle otimes hat z|zrangle
&= x|xrangle otimes y|yrangle otimes z|zrangle
&= xyz |xrangle otimes |yrangle otimes |zrangle
end{align}

which doesn’t make a lot of sense in terms of eigenvalues and eigenvectors. So which one is it, or is it none of them ? and should $mathbf{hat r} |mathbf rrangle = mathbf r|mathbf rrangle$ mean anything ? See this for more on the definitions of these maps.

2 Answers

It’s a tensor product as the various kets you have live in distinct Hilbert spaces. In this space $hat x$ really is $hat xotimes hat{mathbb{I}}otimes hat{mathbb{I}}$, $hat y$ is formally $hat{mathbb{I}}otimes hat yotimes hat{mathbb{I}}$ etc. Indeed $vert xrangle $ is formally $vert xrangle otimes hat{mathbb{I}}otimes hat{mathbb{I}}$ and operator like $hat xotimes hat yotimes hat z$ acting on $vert mathbf{r}rangle$ would return $xyzvert mathbf{r}rangle$.

Correct answer by ZeroTheHero on May 20, 2021

Just to flesh out @ZeroTheHero 's impeccable answer for you, with a hint of how to escape conceptual hash by small finite-dimensional matrices. I'll avoid addressing your unsound conjectures/probes, to protect your attention from expressions which are not even wrong, in favor of standard stuff.

The states are tensor product states, $$|mathbf rrangle = |xrangle otimes |yrangle otimes |zrangle= |xrangle |yrangle |zrangle,$$ whereas 3d vectors $mathbf r= (x,y,z)^T$ are just that. They can be made into eigenvalues of 3d vectors of operators, $hat {mathbf r}= (hat x,hat y,hat z)^T$, operators acting on the space of $ |mathbf rrangle$s, as the accepted answer details, $ hat x |mathbf rrangle = x|mathbf rrangle$, etc. Whence your target 3d vector expression, $$mathbf{hat r} |mathbf rrangle = mathbf r|mathbf rrangle,$$ quite meaningful indeed. Yet again, $|mathbf rrangle$ is not a vector, much unlike $mathbf{ r}$. It yields the latter under action of the vector $mathbf{hat r} $.

You may further dot this 3-vector equation by a fixed 3-vector $mathbf a,$ to reduce it to just one equation (scalar); or to itself, $$ mathbf{ a}cdot mathbf{hat r} |mathbf rrangle = mathbf {a cdot r}|mathbf rrangle ~; mathbf{ hat r}cdot mathbf{hat r} |mathbf rrangle = r^2|mathbf rrangle, $$ etc.

Your instructor must have taught you how to illustrate such Hilbert spaces by finite-dimensional vector spaces when you are groping for your bearings. Take x to only take 2 positions, so $|xrangle$ is a 2-vector; y to only take 3 positions, so $|yrangle$ is a 3-vector; and z to only take 4 positions, so $|zrangle$ is a 4-vector.

Their direct product space $|mathbf rrangle$ then is 24d, (whereas their direct sum space would be 9d). All operators on this space are thus 24×24 matrices, trivial to visualize. So, if the two eigenvalues of $hat x$ are $x_1$ and $x_2$, do you see the diagonal 24×24 $~~~hat x$ matrix consisting of an upper 12×12 block with entries $x_1$ and a lower 12×12 block with entries $x_2$? Trying to visualize some of your proposed constructions, by contrast, this way, would be simply impossible/ inconceivable--not even wrong. This language should enable you to contrast the 3-vectors of the continuous case, also present and controlling here, to the 24d vector kets.

Answered by Cosmas Zachos on May 20, 2021

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