The Aharonov-Bohm Effect and Its Applications to Magnetic Field Observation

2013 ◽  
Vol 02 (01) ◽  
pp. 26-36
Author(s):  
Akira Tonomura
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Quantum Mechanics ◽  
Gauge Fields ◽  
Observable Effect ◽  
Classical Physics ◽  
Vector Potentials ◽  
Lorentz Forces ◽  
Bohm Effect ◽  
Aharonov Bohm ◽  
Wave Properties

This article describes the Aharonov-Bohm (AB) effect of electron waves travelling in free space and its application to the observation of gauge fields (vector potentials). The AB effect is inconceivable in classical physics since an observable effect is produced on electrons passing through field-free spaces. Electrons can be affected only by Lorentz forces due to electromagnetic fields. The situation is different in quantum mechanics, where electrons show wave properties: the concept of force is no longer relevant, so electric field E and magnetic field B, defined as forces acting on a unit charge, take on secondary meanings. “Phase shifts” come into play, and the primary physical entities become neither E nor B but electrostatic potential V and vector potential A. These potentials interact with electron waves and shift their phases.

scholarly journals A general method for deriving vector potentials produced by knotted solenoids

2014 ◽  
Vol 29 (35) ◽  
pp. 1450189
Author(s):  
V. V. Sreedhar
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Charged Particles ◽  
Vector Potentials ◽  
Bohm Effect ◽  
Figure Eight Knot ◽  
Aharonov Bohm ◽  
The Magnetic Field ◽  
General Method

A general method for deriving exact expressions for vector potentials produced by arbitrarily knotted solenoids is presented. It consists of using simple physics ideas from magnetostatics to evaluate the magnetic field in a surrogate problem. The latter is obtained by modeling the knot with wire segments carrying steady currents on a cubical lattice. The expressions for a 31 (trefoil) and a 41 (figure-eight) knot are explicitly worked out. The results are of some importance in the study of the Aharonov–Bohm effect generalized to a situation in which charged particles moving through force-free regions are scattered by fluxes confined to the interior of knotted impenetrable tubes.

scholarly journals Generalized KG-oscillator with a uniform magnetic field under the influence of Coulomb-type potentials in cosmic string space-time and Aharonov-Bohm effect

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Faizuddin Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Cosmic String ◽  
Uniform Magnetic Field ◽  
Bound States ◽  
Space Time ◽  
Vector Potentials ◽  
Klein Gordon ◽  
Relativistic Analogue ◽  
Bohm Effect ◽  
Aharonov Bohm

We solve a generalized Klein-Gordon oscillator (KGO) in the presence of a uniform magnetic field including quantum flux under the effects of a scalar and vector potentials of Coulomb-types in the static cosmic string space-time. We obtain the energy and corresponding eigenfunctions, and analyze a relativistic analogue of the Aharonov-Bohm effect for bound states.

scholarly journals Synthesis and observation of non-Abelian gauge fields in real space

Science ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 365 (6457) ◽  
pp. 1021-1025 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Yang ◽  
Chao Peng ◽  
Di Zhu ◽  
Hrvoje Buljan ◽  
John D. Joannopoulos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gauge Field ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Real Space ◽  
Gauge Fields ◽  
Final States ◽  
Abelian Gauge ◽  
Classical Waves ◽  
Break Time ◽  
Bohm Effect ◽  
Aharonov Bohm

Particles placed inside an Abelian (commutative) gauge field can acquire different phases when traveling along the same path in opposite directions, as is evident from the Aharonov-Bohm effect. Such behaviors can get significantly enriched for a non-Abelian gauge field, where even the ordering of different paths cannot be switched. So far, real-space realizations of gauge fields have been limited to Abelian ones. We report an experimental synthesis of non-Abelian gauge fields in real space and the observation of the non-Abelian Aharonov-Bohm effect with classical waves and classical fluxes. On the basis of optical mode degeneracy, we break time-reversal symmetry in different manners, via temporal modulation and the Faraday effect, to synthesize tunable non-Abelian gauge fields. The Sagnac interference of two final states, obtained by reversely ordered path integrals, demonstrates the noncommutativity of the gauge fields. Our work introduces real-space building blocks for non-Abelian gauge fields, relevant for classical and quantum exotic topological phenomena.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document