Energy-level shift of quantum systems via the scalar electric Aharonov-Bohm effect

R. Y. Chiao, H. Hart, M. Scheibner, J. Sharping, N. A. Inan, D. A. Singleton, and M. E. Tobar

Phys. Rev. A 107, 042209 – Published 13 April 2023

Abstract

A version of the electric Aharonov-Bohm effect is proposed where the quantum system which picks up the Aharonov-Bohm phase is confined to a Faraday cage with a time-varying spatially uniform scalar potential. The electric and magnetic fields in this region are effectively zero for the entire period of the experiment. The observable consequence of this version of the electric Aharonov-Bohmn effect is to shift the energy levels of the quantum system rather than shift the fringes of the two-slit interference pattern. We show a strong mathematical connection between this version of the scalar electric $A B$ effect and the ac Stark effect.

Received 21 November 2022
Accepted 3 April 2023

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.107.042209

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Aharonov-Bohm effect Geometric & topological phases Quantum correlations, foundations & formalism Stark effect

General PhysicsAtomic, Molecular & Optical

Authors & Affiliations

R. Y. Chiao^1,*, H. Hart ^1,†, M. Scheibner ^1,‡, J. Sharping^1,§, N. A. Inan^1,2,3,∥, D. A. Singleton ^3,¶, and M. E. Tobar ^4,#

¹University of California, School of Natural Sciences, P.O. Box 2039, Merced, California 95344, USA
²Clovis Community College, 10309 N. Willow, Fresno, California 93730, USA
³Department of Physics, California State University Fresno, Fresno, California 93740-8031, USA
⁴Quantum Technologies and Dark Matter Laboratories, Department of Physics, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia

^*raymond_chiao@yahoo.com
^†hhart3@ucmerced.edu
^‡mscheibner@ucmerced.edu
^§jsharping@ucmerced.edu
^∥ninan@ucmerced.edu
^¶dougs@mail.fresnostate.edu
^#michael.tobar@uwa.edu.au

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Issue

Vol. 107, Iss. 4 — April 2023

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