Journal of Physics A Mathematical and General
Geometric phase, geometric distance and length of the curve in quantum evolution
Arun Kumar Pati
Abstract
The geometric phase and the geometric distance function are intimately related via length of the curve (a concept the author introduces) for any parametric evolution of the quantum system. He offers an interpretation of the nonadiabatic Berry phase as the integral over a difference between the differentials of two geometric quantities, which enables him to say that the geometric phase is just (half) the integral of the contracted length of the curve that the system traverses during a cyclic excursion.