The initial quantum state is a coherent state. Since and the state is normalized, its mean occupation number is . Each quantum harmonic oscillator energy eigenstate acquires the phase , so
The prefactor is a global phase and does not change an expectation value. Inverting the definitions of the annihilation operator and creation operator gives . If , then
For a classical harmonic oscillator with amplitude , the conserved energy is . Setting gives exactly the same amplitude, . Thus these coherent-state oscillator expectation values follow the classical orbit.
The full quantum mean energy is nevertheless : the extra zero-point energy belongs to the nonzero position and momentum uncertainties required by the Heisenberg uncertainty relation, rather than to the motion of the packet centre. In particular, gives zero mean displacement but a finite ground-state width. A coherent state follows a classical mean trajectory while retaining finite position and momentum uncertainties.
The quantum state is continuous through a sudden finite-force quantum quench, so it is still at . Define
The new Hamiltonian operator is . The old Fock vacuum obeys , so the coherent state after shifting an oscillator equilibrium rotates with amplitude relative to the new equilibrium. In the original oscillator basis, the full state is
One way to obtain the phase is to write
and apply the displacement operator composition rule. The coherent-state oscillator expectation values give
The position uncertainty stays . These mean values obey the forced classical equation, while the nonzero variance retains the quantum width.