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arXiv:0804.3565 · Physics Letters B

Gauge covariance of the Aharonov–Bohm phase in noncommutative quantum mechanics

Масуд Чайчиан, Miklos Långvik, Shin Sasaki, Anca Tureanu

Published Jun 28, 2008• 40 citations
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Abstract

The gauge covariance of the wave function phase factor in noncommutative quantum mechanics (NCQM) is discussed. We show that the naive path integral formulation and an approach where one shifts the coordinates of NCQM in the presence of a background vector potential leads to the gauge non-covariance of the phase factor. Due to this fact, the Aharonov–Bohm phase in NCQM which is evaluated through the path-integral or by shifting the coordinates is neither gauge invariant nor gauge covariant. We show that the gauge covariant Aharonov–Bohm effect should be described by using the noncommutative Wilson lines, what is consistent with the noncommutative Schrödinger equation. This approach can ultimately be used for deriving an analogue of the Dirac quantization condition for the magnetic monopole.

DOI
10.1016/j.physletb.2008.06.050

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The gauge covariance of the wave function phase factor in noncommutative quantum mechanics (NCQM) is discussed. We show that the naive path integral formulation and an approach where one shifts the coordinates of NCQM in the presence of a background vector potential leads to the gauge non-covariance of the phase factor. Due to this fact, the Aharonov–Bohm phase in NCQM which is evaluated through the path-integral or by shifting the coordinates is neither gauge invariant nor gauge covariant. We show that the gauge covariant Aharonov–Bohm effect should be described by using the noncommutative Wilson lines, what is consistent with the noncommutative Schrödinger equation. This approach can ultimately be used for deriving an analogue of the Dirac quantization condition for the magnetic monopole.
The Aharonov-Bohm (AB) effect in non-commutative quantum mechanics (NCQM) is studied. First, by introducing a shift for the magnetic vector potential we give the Schrddoto\\ddot{o}ddotodinger equations in the presence of a magnetic field on NC space and NC phase space, respectively. Then by solving the Schrddoto\\ddot{o}ddotodinger equations, we obtain the Aharonov-Bohm (AB) phase on NC space and NC phase space, respectively.
The Aharonov–Bohm effect on the noncommutative plane is considered. Developing the path integral formulation of quantum mechanics, we find the propagation amplitude for a particle in a noncommutative space. We show that the corresponding shift in the phase of the particle propagator due to the magnetic field of a thin solenoid receives certain gauge invariant corrections because of the noncommutativity. Evaluating the numerical value for this correction, an upper bound for the noncommutativity parameter is obtained.
The formulation of noncommutative quantum mechanics as a quantum system represented in the space of Hilbert-Schmidt operators is used to systematically derive, using the standard time slicing procedure, the path integral action for a particle moving in the noncommutative plane and in the presence of a magnetic field and an arbitrary potential. Using this action, the equation of motion and the ground state energy for the partcle are obtained explicitly. The Aharonov-Bohm phase is derived using a variety of methods and several dualities between this system and other commutative and noncommutative systems are demonstrated. Finally, the equivalence of the path integral formulation with the noncommutative Schrödinger equation is also established.
We study the time-dependent Aharonov–Bohm effect on the noncommutative space. Because there is no net Aharonov–Bohm phase shift in the time-dependent case on the commutative space, therefore, a tiny deviation from zero indicates new physics . Based on the Seiberg–Witten map we obtain the gauge invariant and Lorentz covariant Aharonov–Bohm phase shift in general case on noncommutative space. We find there are two kinds of contribution: momentum-dependent and momentum-independent corrections. For the momentum-dependent correction, there is a cancellation between the magnetic and electric phase shifts, just like the case on the commutative space. However, there is a non-trivial contribution in the momentum-independent correction. This is true for both the time-independent and time-dependent Aharonov–Bohm effects on the noncommutative space. However, for the time-dependent Aharonov–Bohm effect, there is no overwhelming background which exists in the time-independent Aharonov–Bohm effect on both commutative and noncommutative space. Therefore, the time-dependent Aharonov–Bohm can be sensitive to the spatial noncommutativity. The net correction is proportional to the product of the magnetic fluxes through the fundamental area represented by the noncommutative parameter θ , and through the surface enclosed by the trajectory of charged particle. More interestingly, there is an anti-collinear relation between the logarithms of the magnetic field B and the averaged flux Φ / N ( N is the number of fringes shifted). This nontrivial relation can also provide a way to test the spatial noncommutativity. For B Φ / N ∼ 1 , our estimation on the experimental sensitivity shows that it can reach the 10 GeV scale. This sensitivity can be enhanced by using stronger magnetic field strength , larger magnetic flux, as well as higher experimental precision on the phase shift.
The Aharonov-Bohm (AB) effect is a pure quantum effect that implies a measurable phase shift in the wave function for a charged particle that encircles a magnetic flux located in a region inaccessible to the particle. Classically, such a nonlocal effect appears to be impossible since the Lorentz force depends on only the magnetic field at the location of the particle. In quantum mechanics, the Hamiltonian, and thus the Schr\"odinger equation, has a local coupling between the current due to the particle and the electromagnetic vector potential A\mathbf{A}A, which extends to the entire space beyond the region with finite magnetic field. This has sometimes been interpreted as meaning that in quantum mechanics A\mathbf{A}A is in some sense more ``fundamental'' than B\mathbf{B}B in spite of the former being gauge dependent and thus unobservable. Here we shall, with a general proof followed by a few examples, demonstrate that the AB effect can be fully accounted for by considering only the gauge-invariant B\mathbf{B}B field, as long as it is included as part of the quantum action of the entire isolated system. The price for the gauge-invariant formulation is that we must give up locality---the AB phase for the particle will arise from the change in the action for the B\mathbf{B}B field in the region inaccessible to the particle.
The Aharonov-Bohm (AB) phase is usually associated with a line integral of the electromagnetic vector potential generated by an external current source, such as a solenoid. According to this interpretation, the AB phase of a nonclosed path cannot be observed, as the integral depends on the gauge choice of the vector potential. Recent attempts to explain the AB effect through the interaction between a charged particle and an external current, mediated by the exchange of quantum photons, have assumed that the AB phase shift is proportional to the change in interaction energy between the charged particle and the external current source. As a result, these attempts argue that the AB phase change along a path does not depend on the gauge choice, and that the AB phase shift for a nonclosed path is in principle measurable. In this paper, we critically examine this claim and demonstrate that the phase obtained through this approach is actually gauge dependent and not an observable for a nonclosed path. We also provide a brief critical discussion of the proposed experiment for observing the AB phase shift of a nonclosed path.