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In Peskin and Schroeder chapter 2 they discuss the quantization of the real Klein-Gordon field. First, they do this in the Schrodinger picture and they assert: $\phi(x)$ and $\pi(y)$ obey the canonical commutation relations, and they do not depend on time.

They write: $$\phi(x) \propto \int (a_{\ \vec{p}}\ e^{i \vec{p} \cdot \vec{x}} + a^\dagger_{\ \vec{p}}\ e^{-i \vec{p} \cdot \vec{x}}), $$ $$\pi(x) \propto \int (a_{\ \vec{p}}\ e^{i \vec{p} \cdot \vec{x}} - a^\dagger_{\ \vec{p}}\ e^{-i \vec{p} \cdot \vec{x}}) .$$

In the next section, they switch to the Heisenberg picture and make the operators time dependent: $$\phi(x) \to \phi(x,t) = e^{iHt} \phi(x) e^{-iHt}, $$ $$\pi(x) \to \pi(x,t) = e^{iHt} \pi(x) e^{-iHt}.$$ With the result $$\phi(x) \propto \int (a_{p}\ e^{-i p \cdot x} + a^\dagger_{p}\ e^{-i p \cdot x}), $$ $$\pi(x) = \frac{\partial}{\partial t} \phi(x,t).$$

This is all well and good, but how are we supposed to reconcile $\phi(x)$ having no time dependence in the Schrodinger picture? For example, by definition in the Lagrangian density we started with, $$L = (1/2) \dot{\phi}^2 - (1/2) (\nabla \phi)^2 - (1/2) m^2 \phi^2 $$ the field $\phi$ has time dependence, and $\pi(x) \equiv \frac{\partial L}{\partial \dot{\phi}} = \dot{\phi}.$

When we go on to quantize the complex scalar field, if we use the time dependent operators we can correctly guess the form $\pi$ should take by using $\pi = \dot{\phi}.$ But shouldn't we be able to stick to the Schrodinger picture? If we do this, it is easy to make the "incorrect" guess for the form of $\pi.$

Furthermore, we demand the canonical quantization relations: $$[\phi(x), \pi(y)] = i \delta^{3}(x-y) = [\phi^*(x), \pi^*(y)],$$ but shouldn't $$[\phi^*(x), \pi^*(y)]=[\phi(x), \pi(y)]^* = -i \delta^{3}(x-y)?$$

Connor Behan
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Jbag1212
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  • Isn't this really a question about the harmonic oscillator with three other dimensions going along for the ride? – Connor Behan Oct 14 '21 at 01:24
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    The first "equality" in the last equation is wrong. The $*$'s are really Hermitian conjugates, and $(AB)^\dagger=B^\dagger A^\dagger$. – Nihar Karve Oct 14 '21 at 03:42
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    This is a serious point - see my answer here. – bolbteppa Oct 14 '21 at 04:28
  • Essentially a duplicate of https://physics.stackexchange.com/q/667305/2451 – Qmechanic Oct 14 '21 at 08:48
  • It is a very useful trick to assume that $\phi$ and $\phi^*$ are independent complex-valued fields in QFT, and only impose the "reality condition" that they are complex conjugates of each other on the already quantized theory – Prof. Legolasov Oct 14 '21 at 14:58
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    @NiharKarve Ah, thanks. This switches the order, which adds an overall negative sign to the commutator, so everything works? – Jbag1212 Oct 14 '21 at 17:40

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