SPIN AND THE AHARONOV-BOHM EFFECT

Ya. I. Azimov, R.M. Ryndin

Erik Sjöqvist

It is shown that the molecular Aharonov-Bohm effect is neither nonlocal nor topological in the sense of the standard magnetic Aharonov-Bohm effect. It is further argued that there is a close relationship between the molecular Aharonov-Bohm effect and the Aharonov-Casher effect for an electrically neutral spin -1 / 2 particle encircling a line of charge.

Donald H. Kobe

Akira Tonomura

N. Ferkous, Abdelhafid Bounames

The 2D Pauli equation with Hulthén potential for spin-1/2 particle in the presence of Aharonov—Bohm (AB) field is solved analytically, on the assumption that an effective approximation is used for the centrifugal term. Singular and regular solutions of the problem are obtained. It is shown that the AB field lifts the degeneracy of the energy levels. The range of the flux parameter for which singular solutions are allowed is modified compared to the pure AB case. When the screening parameter vanishes, it is shown that the obtained energy spectrum becomes the same as that of the Aharonov—Bohm Coulomb problem.

Michael A. Peshkin

I review what has been learned about fundamental issues in quantum mechanics from the Aharonov-Bohm effect. Following that, I consider the Aharonov-Casher effect and the Scalar Aharonov-Bohm effect, in both of which a spin-1/2 particle interacts with a local electromagnetic field through its magnetic moment, and conclude that those effects can be described as observable effects of local torques.