Third Quantization for Order Parameter (I): BCS-BEC crossover with macroscopically coherent state

Quantum Physics [Submitted on 23 Apr 2026] Third Quantization for Order Parameter (I): BCS-BEC crossover with macroscopically coherent state Guo-Jian Qiao, Miao-Miao Yi, Xin Yue, C. P. Sun We revisit the quantization of the order parameter, which we refer to as third quantization, from the perspective of the commutation relation between the phase operator of the order parameter and the particle-number operator. We show that this macroscopic commutation relation does not constitute an independent fundamental postulate added to quantum mechanics, but instead emerges naturally from second quantization in the thermodynamic limit for both bosonic and fermionic many-body systems. In this sense, both Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) and Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) states can be understood as macroscopic quantum states described by bosonic coherent states: in BEC, bosons condense into a single coherent mode with a well-defined phase, while in BCS systems, collective excitations of Cooper pairs can also acquire an effectively bosonic coherent description. On this basis, we propose a new macroscopic interpretation of the BCS-BEC crossover. To characterize this crossover, we model a conventional superconductor as an assembly of macroscopically separated superconducting segments. As the intra-segment coupling increases, the system evolves from a BCS-like regime toward a BEC-like regime, in which the segments collectively behave as macroscopic coherent states. Inter-segment tunneling then locks their phases, establishes global phase coherence, and gives rise to a bulk Bose-Einstein condensate. The phase diagram of the BCS-BEC crossover can thus be understood as a manifestation of a macroscopic quantum process governed by the coherent-state dynamics of the order parameter. Our results provide a unified perspective on BEC, BCS superconductivity, and the BCS-BEC crossover within the framework of third quantization. Comments: 17 pages, 6 figures Subjects: Quantum Physics (quant-ph) Cite as: arXiv:2604.21288 [quant-ph]   (or arXiv:2604.21288v1 [quant-ph] for this version)   https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2604.21288 Focus to learn more Submission history From: Guo-Jian Qiao [view email] [v1] Thu, 23 Apr 2026 05:05:30 UTC (308 KB) Access Paper: HTML (experimental) view license Current browse context: quant-ph < prev   |   next > new | recent | 2026-04 References & Citations INSPIRE HEP NASA ADS Google Scholar Semantic Scholar Export BibTeX Citation Bookmark Bibliographic Tools Bibliographic and Citation Tools Bibliographic Explorer Toggle Bibliographic Explorer (What is the Explorer?) Connected Papers Toggle Connected Papers (What is Connected Papers?) Litmaps Toggle Litmaps (What is Litmaps?) scite.ai Toggle scite Smart Citations (What are Smart Citations?) Code, Data, Media Demos Related Papers About arXivLabs Which authors of this paper are endorsers? | Disable MathJax (What is MathJax?)