Localization of relativistic particles and uncertainty relations

Abstract

Localization of relativistic particles and their position-momentum uncertainty relations are not yet fully understood. We discuss two schemes of photon localization that are based on the energy density. One scheme produces a positive operator-valued measure for localization. It coincides with the number density operator and reproduces the effective 3x3 polarization density matrix. Another scheme results in a probability distribution that is conditioned on the detection. In both schemes the uncertainty relations for transversal position and momentum approach the Heisenberg bound $\Delta p \Delta z= \hbar/2$