Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Journal of Physics Conference Series

Time-dependent Aharonov-Bohm effect for electromagnetic and gravitational scalar potentials

R. Y. Chiao, Nader A. Inan, Michael Scheibner, Jay E. Sharping, DA Singleton, Michael Edmund Tobar

Published Nov 1, 2024• 1 citation
Publisher

Abstract

Abstract In this article, we review a new approach to the scalar Aharonov-Bohm effect for both the electromagnetic and gravitational interaction. For both interactions a quantum system is placed in a time-dependent electromagnetic or gravitational potential, but with no force (spatial derivative of the potential) acting on the quantum system. Nevertheless, we show that the energy levels of the quantum system develop side bands which can be detected as the signature of this version of the scalar Aharonov-Bohm effect. We briefly look at the specific experimental setups required to detect the energy side bands.

DOI
10.1088/1742-6596/2889/1/012062

Related papers

Extreme Dispersion and Gravitational Modulation: Advancing Tests of the Aharonov–Bohm Effect

Michael T. Hatzon, Graeme Flower, Maxim Goryachev +2 more

The Aharonov-Bohm (AB) effect underscores the fundamental role of electromagnetic and gravitational potentials in quantum mechanics, even in regions where classical fields vanish.In this article, we summarize and expand on our recent work on the AB effect.We explore the gravitational AB effect as a generalization of gravitational redshift, considering a quantum system in orbit around a massive body.In this scenario, time-dependent gravitational potentials give rise to sidebands in the energy spectrum, which could be detected using precision atomic clocks aboard satellites.In parallel, we extend recent investigations of the electric-scalar AB effect.By using a balanced interferometric excitation scheme in a microwave cavity, on resonance, we achieve 25 dB suppression of the electromagnetic fieldwhile enhancing the time-varying scalar electric potential.This offers a promising platform to directly probe the electricscalar AB effect under conditions of a null electric field and a finite scalar potential.Also, it enables the realization of a resonant system exhibiting extreme dispersion.These complementary approaches provide new experimental pathways to test fundamental quantum effects in electromagnetic and gravitational potentials.

URSI Radio Science Letters•Jan 1, 2025•0 citations

Gravitational Aharonov-Bohm effect

R. Y. Chiao, Nader A. Inan, Michael Scheibner +3 more

We investigate the gravitational Aharonov-Bohm effect by placing a quantum system in free fall around a gravitating body, e.g., a satellite orbiting the Earth. Since the system is in free fall, by the equivalence principle, the quantum system is local in flat, gravity free space-time---it is screened from the gravitational field. For a slightly elliptical orbit, the gravitational potential will change with time. This leads to the energy levels of the quantum system developing sidebands which is the signature for this version of the Aharonov-Bohm effect. This contrasts with the normal signature of the Aharonov-Bohm effect of shifting of interference fringes.

arXiv:2311.07764•Physical review. D/Physical review. D.•Mar 25, 2024•17 citations

Scalar gravitational Aharonov–Bohm effect: Generalization of the gravitational redshift

Michael Edmund Tobar, Michael T. Hatzon, Graeme Flower +1 more

The Aharonov–Bohm effect is a quantum mechanical phenomenon that demonstrates how potentials can have observable effects even when the classical fields associated with those potentials are absent. Initially proposed for electromagnetic interactions, this effect has been experimentally confirmed and extensively studied over the years. More recently, the effect has been observed in the context of gravitational interactions using atom interferometry. Additionally, recent predictions suggest that temporal variations in the phase of an electron wave function will induce modulation sidebands in the energy levels of an atomic clock, solely driven by a time-varying scalar gravitational potential. In this study, we consider the atomic clock as a two-level system undergoing continuous Rabi oscillations between the electron's ground and excited state. We assume the photons driving the transition are precisely frequency-stabilized to match the transition, enabling accurate clock comparisons. Our analysis takes into account, that when an atom transitions from its ground state to an excited state, it absorbs energy, increasing its mass according to the mass-energy equivalence principle. Due to the mass difference between the two energy levels, we predict that an atomic clock in an eccentric orbit experiencing a time-varying gravitational potential, will exhibit a constant frequency redshift relative to a ground clock, corresponding to the orbit's average gravitational redshift. Additionally, modulation sidebands will appear, and detecting these predicted sidebands would confirm the scalar gravitational Aharonov–Bohm effect.

arXiv:2408.14629•Applied Physics Letters•Aug 26, 2024•4 citations

Quantum Technologies in Space to Determine the Gravitational Aharonov-Bohm Effect

R. Y. Chiao, Nader A. Inan, Michael Scheibner +3 more

Recently we showed that quantum systems in orbit around a massive body may be compared to ground clocks to test the gravitational Aharonov-Bohm effect. To be sensitive, orbits must have non-zero eccentricity, so geometric phase effects related to the time varying gravitation potential will be present. Since the quantum system will be in free-fall, by the equivalence principle, the quantum system is locally screened from the gravitational field. However, the time varying gravitational potential will change the energy levels of the quantum system and develop side bands, which are harmonics of the orbit frequency and is the signature of the scalar Aharonov-Bohm effect. Experiments that have the potential to measure such geometric phases include atomic clocks in space, such as the ACES mission, as well as other missions that propose optical clocks in space. Also, worth investigating is the possible use of data from Galileo clocks with non-zero eccentricity.

IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS)•Jul 7, 2024•0 citations

Temporal Topological Aharonov-Bhom Phase in Quantum-Systems under Electric and Gravitational Scalar Potentials

M. E. Tobar, M. T. Hatzon, G. R. Flower +7 more

We present results that shed light on a quantum system's scalar Aharonov-Bohm (AB) phase and how the effect can be measured. We show that the electric-scalar effect is the temporal dual of the vector-magnetic effect and propose a setup using a Faraday cage, where the observable is the modification of a quantum system's energy levels. For the scalar gravitational potential, we propose a quantum system in an eccentric orbit, which manifests as a temporal generalization of the gravitational redshift.

•Jan 1, 2025•0 citations

AC Stark effect or time-dependent Aharonov-Bohm effect for particle on a ring

Patrick Hinrichs, Douglas Singleton, Nader Inan

We study the effect of a time-varying solenoidal vector potential for a quantum particle confined to a ring. The setup appears to be a time-varying version of the Aharonov-Bohm effect, but since the particle moves in the presence of fields, it is not strictly an Aharonov-Bohm effect. The results are similar to the ac Stark effect, but with a time-varying electric field coming from the vector potential, rather than the scalar potential. We compare and contrast the present effect with the standard ac Stark effect. The signature of this setup is the generation of quasi-energy sidebands which are observable via spectroscopy.

quant-pharXiv:2512.15935•Physics Letters A•Dec 19, 2025•0 citations
Abstract In this article, we review a new approach to the scalar Aharonov-Bohm effect for both the electromagnetic and gravitational interaction. For both interactions a quantum system is placed in a time-dependent electromagnetic or gravitational potential, but with no force (spatial derivative of the potential) acting on the quantum system. Nevertheless, we show that the energy levels of the quantum system develop side bands which can be detected as the signature of this version of the scalar Aharonov-Bohm effect. We briefly look at the specific experimental setups required to detect the energy side bands.
The Aharonov-Bohm (AB) effect underscores the fundamental role of electromagnetic and gravitational potentials in quantum mechanics, even in regions where classical fields vanish.In this article, we summarize and expand on our recent work on the AB effect.We explore the gravitational AB effect as a generalization of gravitational redshift, considering a quantum system in orbit around a massive body.In this scenario, time-dependent gravitational potentials give rise to sidebands in the energy spectrum, which could be detected using precision atomic clocks aboard satellites.In parallel, we extend recent investigations of the electric-scalar AB effect.By using a balanced interferometric excitation scheme in a microwave cavity, on resonance, we achieve 25 dB suppression of the electromagnetic fieldwhile enhancing the time-varying scalar electric potential.This offers a promising platform to directly probe the electricscalar AB effect under conditions of a null electric field and a finite scalar potential.Also, it enables the realization of a resonant system exhibiting extreme dispersion.These complementary approaches provide new experimental pathways to test fundamental quantum effects in electromagnetic and gravitational potentials.
We investigate the gravitational Aharonov-Bohm effect by placing a quantum system in free fall around a gravitating body, e.g., a satellite orbiting the Earth. Since the system is in free fall, by the equivalence principle, the quantum system is local in flat, gravity free space-time---it is screened from the gravitational field. For a slightly elliptical orbit, the gravitational potential will change with time. This leads to the energy levels of the quantum system developing sidebands which is the signature for this version of the Aharonov-Bohm effect. This contrasts with the normal signature of the Aharonov-Bohm effect of shifting of interference fringes.
The Aharonov–Bohm effect is a quantum mechanical phenomenon that demonstrates how potentials can have observable effects even when the classical fields associated with those potentials are absent. Initially proposed for electromagnetic interactions, this effect has been experimentally confirmed and extensively studied over the years. More recently, the effect has been observed in the context of gravitational interactions using atom interferometry. Additionally, recent predictions suggest that temporal variations in the phase of an electron wave function will induce modulation sidebands in the energy levels of an atomic clock, solely driven by a time-varying scalar gravitational potential. In this study, we consider the atomic clock as a two-level system undergoing continuous Rabi oscillations between the electron's ground and excited state. We assume the photons driving the transition are precisely frequency-stabilized to match the transition, enabling accurate clock comparisons. Our analysis takes into account, that when an atom transitions from its ground state to an excited state, it absorbs energy, increasing its mass according to the mass-energy equivalence principle. Due to the mass difference between the two energy levels, we predict that an atomic clock in an eccentric orbit experiencing a time-varying gravitational potential, will exhibit a constant frequency redshift relative to a ground clock, corresponding to the orbit's average gravitational redshift. Additionally, modulation sidebands will appear, and detecting these predicted sidebands would confirm the scalar gravitational Aharonov–Bohm effect.
Recently we showed that quantum systems in orbit around a massive body may be compared to ground clocks to test the gravitational Aharonov-Bohm effect. To be sensitive, orbits must have non-zero eccentricity, so geometric phase effects related to the time varying gravitation potential will be present. Since the quantum system will be in free-fall, by the equivalence principle, the quantum system is locally screened from the gravitational field. However, the time varying gravitational potential will change the energy levels of the quantum system and develop side bands, which are harmonics of the orbit frequency and is the signature of the scalar Aharonov-Bohm effect. Experiments that have the potential to measure such geometric phases include atomic clocks in space, such as the ACES mission, as well as other missions that propose optical clocks in space. Also, worth investigating is the possible use of data from Galileo clocks with non-zero eccentricity.
We present results that shed light on a quantum system's scalar Aharonov-Bohm (AB) phase and how the effect can be measured. We show that the electric-scalar effect is the temporal dual of the vector-magnetic effect and propose a setup using a Faraday cage, where the observable is the modification of a quantum system's energy levels. For the scalar gravitational potential, we propose a quantum system in an eccentric orbit, which manifests as a temporal generalization of the gravitational redshift.
We study the effect of a time-varying solenoidal vector potential for a quantum particle confined to a ring. The setup appears to be a time-varying version of the Aharonov-Bohm effect, but since the particle moves in the presence of fields, it is not strictly an Aharonov-Bohm effect. The results are similar to the ac Stark effect, but with a time-varying electric field coming from the vector potential, rather than the scalar potential. We compare and contrast the present effect with the standard ac Stark effect. The signature of this setup is the generation of quasi-energy sidebands which are observable via spectroscopy.