SU(1,1) and SU(2) Approaches to the Radial Oscillator: Generalized Coherent States and Squeezing of Variances

Abstract: It is shown that each one of the Lie algebras su(1,1) and su(2) determine the spectrum of the radial oscillator. States that share the same orbital angular momentum are used to construct the representation spaces of the non-compact Lie group SU(1,1). In addition, three different forms of obtaining the representation spaces of the compact Lie group SU(2) are introduced, they are based on the accidental degeneracies associated with the spherical symmetry of the system as well as on the selection rules that govern the transitions between different energy levels. In all cases the corresponding generalized coherent states are constructed and the conditions to squeeze the involved quadratures are analyzed.