Molecular Kramers degeneracy and non-Abelian adiabatic phase factors

C. Alden Mead
Phys. Rev. Lett. 59, 161 – Published 13 July 1987
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Abstract

For a molecular system with an odd number of electrons, the electronic Hamiltonian possesses a twofold Kramers degeneracy for all nuclear configurations. It is shown that this leads to a non-Abelian gauge-field term in the effective nuclear Hamiltonian, with permissible gauge transformations belonging to SU(2). This should lead to observable effects analogous to the Berry phase for the nondegenerate case. In particular, an atom in a slowly rotating electric field exhibits changes in its component of angular momentum along the field because of the non-Abelian phase factor.

  • Received 23 March 1987

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.59.161

©1987 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

C. Alden Mead

  • Chemistry Department, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455

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Vol. 59, Iss. 2 — 13 July 1987

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