Wigner Representation of Schr\"odinger Propagators

Abstract

We perform a Wigner analysis of Fourier integral operators (FIOs), whose main examples are Schr\"odinger propagators arising from quadratic Hamiltonians with bounded perturbations. The perturbation is given by a pseudodifferential operator $\sigma(x,D)$ with symbol in the H\"ormander class $S^0_{0,0}(\mathbb{R}^{2d})$. We compute and study the Wigner kernel of these operators. They are special instances of a more general class of FIOs named $FIO(S)$, with $S$ the symplectic matrix representing the classical symplectic map. We shall show the algebra and the Wiener's property of this class. The algebra will be the fundamental tool to represent the Wigner kernel of the Schr\"odinger propagator for every $t\in\mathbb{R}^d$, also in the caustic points. This outcome underlines the validity of the Wigner analysis for the study of Schr\"odinger equations.