Phase-space description of the coherent state dynamics in a small one-dimensional system

Abstract The Wigner-Moyal approach is applied to investigate the dynamics of the Gaussian wave packet moving in a double-well potential in the ‘Mexican hat’ form. Quantum trajectories in the phase space are computed for different kinetic energies of the initial wave packet in the Wigner form. The results are compared with the classical trajectories. Some additional information on the dynamics of the wave packet in the phase space is extracted from the analysis of the cross-correlation of the Wigner distribution function with itself at different points in time.