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arXiv:1801.00190

A proposal for direct measurement on the quantum geometric potential

Jianda Wu

Published Dec 30, 2017• 0 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

The quantum geometric potential is a gauge invariant carrying novel geometric features between any two energy levels or bands in quantum systems. In generic time-dependent systems it gives a vital physical modification for the instantaneous energy gaps, laying down more appropriate quantum adiabatic conditions for both non-degenerate and degenerate systems. Remarkably, for generic parameterized quantum systems, the integration of the quantum geometric potential on a closed loop leads to a novel type of quantized winding number, which is a quantum counterpart of the Gauss-Bonnet theorem. The effects of the quantum geometric potential had been indirectly supported by the experiments on the quantum adiabatic evolution, however, a direct experimental observation so far is lacking. In this paper we propose an interference measurement to directly probe the quantum geometric potential, where the relevant parameters are easily accessible by current experimental apparatus. A direct confirmation of this new physical quantity could motive further theoretical and experimental investigations as well as its potential real applications.

DOI
10.48550/arxiv.1801.00190

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The quantum geometric potential is a gauge invariant carrying novel geometric features between any two energy levels or bands in quantum systems. In generic time-dependent systems it gives a vital physical modification for the instantaneous energy gaps, laying down more appropriate quantum adiabatic conditions for both non-degenerate and degenerate systems. Remarkably, for generic parameterized quantum systems, the integration of the quantum geometric potential on a closed loop leads to a novel type of quantized winding number, which is a quantum counterpart of the Gauss-Bonnet theorem. The effects of the quantum geometric potential had been indirectly supported by the experiments on the quantum adiabatic evolution, however, a direct experimental observation so far is lacking. In this paper we propose an interference measurement to directly probe the quantum geometric potential, where the relevant parameters are easily accessible by current experimental apparatus. A direct confirmation of this new physical quantity could motive further theoretical and experimental investigations as well as its potential real applications.
The exploration of geometric phases in quantum mechanics has fundamentally transformed our understanding of cyclic adiabatic evolutions, revealing how state vectors acquire non-trivial phase factors dictated by the underlying parameter manifolds. While traditional geometric phases govern quantum state wavefunctions and superposition coefficients, the energetic consequences of cyclic parameter manipulation remain bound to instantaneous expectation values within conventional frameworks. In this paper, we introduce and formalize the concept of Quantum Energy-Loop Gain (QELG), demonstrating that quantum systems subjected to closed parameter loops can exhibit an irreducible, topologically protected net energy shift. We define this phenomenon through an energy vector potential acting directly on the parameter space, presenting its mathematical foundations, gauge transformation properties, adiabatic and non-adiabatic dynamics, and thermodynamic consistency. Furthermore, we outline potential experimental platforms capable of observing this geometric accumulation of energy, opening a novel pathway for non-dissipative energy manipulation and advanced quantum control.
For a quantum system subject to external parameters, the Berry phase is an intralevel property, which is gauge invariant module $2\ensuremath{\pi}$ for a closed loop in the parameter space and generally is nonquantized. In contrast, we define an interband character $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Theta}}$ for a closed loop, which is gauge invariant and quantized as integer values. It is a quantum mechanical analogy of the Euler character based on the Gauss-Bonnet theorem for a manifold with a boundary. The role of the Gaussian curvature is mimicked by the difference between the Berry curvatures of the two levels, and the counterpart of the geodesic curvature is the quantum geometric potential which was proposed to improve the quantum adiabatic condition. This quantized interband character is also generalized to quantum degenerate systems.
This thesis examines the quantum-mechanical geometric phase with a view toward time reversal symmetry considerations. The idea of time reversal in quantum mechanics is investigated, disagreements and inconsistencies in the literature are examined, and the action of the time reversal operator is extended to time-dependent Hamiltonians. With this background, and using a definition of time reversal symmetry based on the evolution operator, I demonstrate that the existence of a non-zero geometric phase can in all cases be attributed to a breakdown of time reversal symmetry in some form. This result holds for both adiabatic and nonadiabatic evolutions, and for arbitrary dimensional parameter spaces. I explore the role of the geometric phase in a two-level Kramers system described by a parameter-dependent Hamiltonian such that the two levels can become degenerate for some value of the parameters, and discuss, from a mathematical point of view, the monopole geometric potential that results. I then extend this analysis by considering a pair of Kramers doublets, each doublet degenerate due to time reversal symmetry, where the parameters can be chosen so that each of the pair of doublets becomes degenerate with the other. I find the explicit functional forms for the two resulting nonabelian geometric gauge potentials and show that they can be identified exactly with the only two gauge-inequivalent SU(2) monopole potentials of Yang. Furthermore, following a conformal transformation these potentials can be mapped to those of the SU(2) instanton/anti-instanton pair. Finally I examine the relevance of the geometric phase to the molecular physics of time-odd systems. Time-odd coupling in molecular physics is a much under-studied area, with many potentially interesting results. Specifically I study time-odd coupling in Jahn-Teller systems under the Born-Oppenheimer approximation, where the electronic position states are coupled to the lattice momentum rather than the usual time-even lattice position. As an example I solve the E ⊗ (b₁ ⊕ b₂ ⊕ a₂) Jahn-Teller system exactly, showing that once again monopole-like geometric potentials arise, and comment on how this affects the angular momentum of the lattice subsystem.
A quantum state, such as a qubit state, defined in a parameter space is endowed with a property called the geometrical property. The geometrical property tells how much the quantum state changes in a parameter space; this property is a gauge invariant, physical, quantity, but it has not been experimentally observed until very recently. We give a simple experimental protocol to measure the geometrical property by periodically modulating the system and looking at the system response. The method can be easily applied to various qubit systems such as diamond NV centers and superconducting qubits. We will also review the current experimental situations regarding the measurement of geometrical structures.
Abstract: This work develops a unified and gauge-invariant framework in which quantum interference is described as a measurement of relative holonomy between two coherent evolutions in a combined configuration space X = M × Λ. Both the Aharonov–Bohm (Abelian) and Wilczek–Zee (non-Abelian) effects appear as limits of a single Wilson-loop observable. A block connection is introduced on the direct-sum bundle E = H ⊕ (T X ⊗ ℂ), with structure group U(n) × O(p,q), thereby unifying Berry parallel transport and Levi-Civita geometry within one connection. The formalism ensures gauge and diffeomorphism covariance, analytic well-posedness under back-reaction, and establishes conditions for reconstructing the spacetime metric from holonomy data. The resulting theory provides a mathematically consistent and experimentally testable synthesis of geometric phase, interference, and spacetime connection. Potential physical implementations include mesoscopic rings, cold-atom systems, and superconducting circuits. Keywords: geometric phase; holonomy; Aharonov–Bohm effect; Berry phase; Wilczek–Zee connection; differential geometry; quantum interference; gauge theory.