Quantum mechanics in phase space: first order comparison between the Wigner and the Fermi function

AbstractThe Fermi gF(x,p) function provides a phase space description of quantum mechanics conceptually different from that based on the the Wigner function W(x,p). In this paper, we show that for a peaked wave packet the gF(x,p)=0 curve approximately corresponds to a phase space contour level of the Wigner function and provides a satisfactory description of the wave packet’s size and shape. Our results show that the Fermi function is an interesting tool to investigate quantum fluctuations in the semiclassical regime.