Geometric structure of the relativistic quantum phase space

Abstract

The quest to reconcile quantum mechanics with gravitational theory motivates the exploration of frameworks that treat quantum uncertainty and spacetime geometry under a unified approach. A promising candidate that emerges from this pursuit is the relativistic quantum phase space (QPS) formalism, which extends classical phase space by incorporating both mean values and variance-covariance matrices of quantum states, providing a unified setting where the uncertainty principle and relativistic covariance coexist. For the signature $(1,4)$, we construct a scalar from the mean values and the inverse variance-covariance matrix and prove its invariance under linear canonical transformations (LCTs). Motivated by the form of the variance-covariance matrix in a particular reference frame, we identify this invariant as $Γ= L^2/\ell^2$ for states that saturate the uncertainty relations, where $L$ and $\ell$ are two fundamental length scales that can be identified with the de Sitter radius and the Planck length, respectively. From this invariant, we obtain a geometric equation that unifies mean values and quantum fluctuations. In the limit $\ell \to 0$, the equation reduces to the de Sitter spacetime equation; in the limit $L \to \infty$, it yields a curved momentum space reminiscent of Born reciprocity. In the Minkowski limit (both $\ell \to 0$ and $L \to \infty$), the familiar relativistic relations for rest mass and proper time emerge. These limiting cases show how the Planck length and the cosmological constant can be unified within a single geometric constraint, establishing the QPS geometry as a promising framework for exploring the interplay between quantum mechanics and gravity.