WIGNER DISTRIBUTION OF A GENERAL ANGULAR-MOMENTUM STATE - APPLICATIONS TO A COLLECTION OF 2-LEVEL ATOMS

The general theory of quantum angular momentum is used to derive the u nique Wigner distribution function for arbitrary angular-momentum stat es. We give the explicit distribution for atomic angular-momentum Dick e states, coherent states, and squeezed states that correspond to a co llection of N two-level atoms. These Wigner functions W(theta,phi)) ar e represented as a pseudoprobability distribution in spherical phase s pace with spherical coordinates theta and phi on the surface of a sphe re of radius HBAR square-root j(j + 1) where j is the total angular-mo mentum eigenvalue.