arXiv:2502.17557 · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

The moving Born–Oppenheimer approximation

Bernardo Barrera, Daniel P. Arovas, Anushya Chandran, Anatoli Polkovnikov

Published Feb 13, 2026• 4 citations

Abstract

We develop a mixed quantum-classical framework, dubbed the moving Born-Oppenheimer approximation (MBOA), to describe the dynamics of slow degrees of freedom (DOFs) coupled to fast ones. As in the Born-Oppenheimer approximation (BOA), the fast degrees of freedom adiabatically follow a state that depends on the slow ones. Unlike the BOA, this state depends on both the positions and the momenta of the slow DOFs. We study several model systems: a spin-1/2 particle and a spinful molecule moving in a spatially inhomogeneous magnetic field, and a gas of fast particles coupled to a piston. The MBOA reveals rich dynamics for the slow degree of freedom, including reflection, dynamical trapping, and mass renormalization. It also significantly modifies the state of the fast DOFs. For example, the spins in the molecule are entangled and squeezed, while the gas of fast particles develops gradients that are synchronized with the motion of the piston for a long time. The MBOA can be used to describe both classical and quantum systems and has potential applications in quantum chemistry, correlated materials, atomic physics, molecular dynamics, and quantum sensing.

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2507816123

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