Published October 2010 | Version v1
Journal article

Geometric phase in Bohmian mechanics

  • 1. Institute for Theoretical Chemistry and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712 (United States)

Description

Using the quantum kinematic approach of Mukunda and Simon, we propose a geometric phase in Bohmian mechanics. A reparametrization and gauge invariant geometric phase is derived along an arbitrary path in configuration space. The single valuedness of the wave function implies that the geometric phase along a path must be equal to an integer multiple of 2π. The nonzero geometric phase indicates that we go through the branch cut of the action function from one Riemann sheet to another when we locally travel along the path. For stationary states, quantum vortices exhibiting the quantized circulation integral can be regarded as a manifestation of the geometric phase. The bound-state Aharonov-Bohm effect demonstrates that the geometric phase along a closed path contains not only the circulation integral term but also an additional term associated with the magnetic flux. In addition, it is shown that the geometric phase proposed previously from the ensemble theory is not gauge invariant.

Availability note (English)

Available from http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aop.2010.04.012

Additional details

Identifiers

DOI
10.1016/j.aop.2010.04.012;
PII
S0003-4916(10)00076-X;

Publishing Information

Journal Title
Annals of Physics (New York)
Journal Volume
325
Journal Issue
10
Journal Page Range
p. 2234-2250
ISSN
0003-4916
CODEN
APNYA6

INIS

Country of Publication
United States
Country of Input or Organization
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
INIS RN
42048020
Subject category
S71: CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS;
Descriptors DEI
AHARONOV-BOHM EFFECT; BOUND STATE; GAUGE INVARIANCE; GEOMETRY; INTEGRALS; MAGNETIC FLUX; QUANTUM MECHANICS; RIEMANN SHEET; SPACE; VORTICES; WAVE FUNCTIONS
Descriptors DEC
FUNCTIONS; INVARIANCE PRINCIPLES; MATHEMATICS; MECHANICS

Optional Information

Copyright
Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.