Classical and quantum behavior of dynamical systems defined by functions of solvable Hamiltonians

We discuss the classical and quantum mechanical evolution of systems described by a Hamiltonian that is a function of a solvable one, both classically and quantum mechanically. The case in which the solvable Hamiltonian corresponds to the harmonic oscillator is emphasized. We show that, in spite of the similarities at the classical level, the quantum evolution is very different. In particular, this difference is important in constructing coherent states, which is impossible in most cases. The class of Hamiltonians we consider is interesting due to its pedagogical value and its applicability to some open research problems in quantum optics and quantum gravity. © 2008 American Association of Physics Teachers. DOI: 10.1119/1.2805234