AHARONAOV-BOHM EFFECT

PRESENTED BY :- VEER BHADRA SINGH

SUBMITTED TO :- DIMPLE MA'AM

 By Anzar Ali
Outline of the talk 2/15

1) Introduction
2) Maxwell’s equation
3) Gauge transformation
4) Charge particle in electromagnetic field
5) Aharonov-Bohm effect experiment
6) Practical use of Aharonov-Bohm effect
7) Conclusion

Aharonov-Bohm Effect
 By Anzar Ali
Introduction 3/15

Description of electromagnetic phenomena can be

simplified by introduction of electromagnetic potentials:
scalar potential φ and vector potential A.

Until the beginning of the twenty century it was

widely believed that potentials are only a mathematical
construct to simplify calculations and that they contain
no physical significance.

Aharonov-Bohm Effect
 By Anzar Ali
Introduction (Continue) 4/15

 With the development of quantum mechanics in the

early twenty century, this view was put under question,
because Schrödinger equation, basic equation of
quantum mechanics, doesn’t contain fields but
potentials.
 Schrodinger Equation:-
2
H
− 𝛻𝛻 2 ψ + V x ψ = 𝐸𝐸ψ
2𝑚𝑚
Aharonov-Bohm Effect
 By Anzar Ali
Introduction (Continue) 5/15

The heart of the

experiment is the effect in
which wave function
acquire some additional
phase when travelling
through space with no
electromagnetic fields,
only potentials. This is
called Aharonov-Bohm
effect.

Aharonov-Bohm Effect
 By Anzar Ali
Maxwell Equations 6/15

In 1861, Scottish physicist and mathematician James Clerk

Maxwell wrote four differential equations[1].
ρ
1- 𝜵𝜵. 𝑬𝑬 = 2- 𝜵𝜵. 𝑩𝑩 = 0
𝜀𝜀0
𝜕𝜕𝑩𝑩 𝜕𝜕𝑬𝑬
3- 𝜵𝜵 × 𝑬𝑬 = − 4- 𝜵𝜵 × 𝑩𝑩 = μ0 𝑱𝑱 + μ0 ε0
𝜕𝜕𝑡𝑡 𝜕𝜕𝑡𝑡
From equation (2) 𝑩𝑩 = 𝜵𝜵 × 𝑨𝑨 (5)

𝜕𝜕𝑨𝑨
From equation (3) 𝑬𝑬 = −𝜵𝜵ɸ − (6)
𝜕𝜕𝑡𝑡

Aharonov-Bohm Effect
 By Anzar Ali
Gauge Transformation 7/15

Electromagnetic Potential have another important

property.
𝑨𝑨 ′ = 𝑨𝑨 + 𝜵𝜵λ
𝜕𝜕λ
ɸ′ =ɸ−
𝜕𝜕𝑡𝑡

Where function λ is called “gauge function.”

Because we can satisfy Maxwell’s equation with different

potentials, we can say that the equations are gauge
invariant.

Aharonov-Bohm Effect
 By Anzar Ali
Charged particle in electromagnetic field 8/15

For a charged particle in electromagnetic field, Hamiltonian

is of the form[2].

1
𝐻𝐻 = (𝒑𝒑 − 𝑒𝑒𝑨𝑨(𝒓𝒓) )2 + 𝑒𝑒ɸ(r)
2𝑚𝑚

If we write 𝒑𝒑 = −𝑖𝑖ℏ𝜵𝜵 and put Hamiltonian in Schrodinger

equation, we get
1 𝜕𝜕𝜓𝜓
[ −𝑖𝑖ℏ𝛁𝛁 − 𝑒𝑒𝑨𝑨 𝒓𝒓 )2 + 𝑒𝑒ɸ 𝒓𝒓 + 𝑉𝑉 𝒓𝒓 𝜓𝜓 = 𝑖𝑖ℏ
2𝑚𝑚 𝜕𝜕𝑡𝑡

Aharonov-Bohm Effect
 By Anzar Ali
Vector potential of solenoid magnet 9/15

To solve Schrodinger equation, we must determine

A = ? and ɸ = ?
Because solenoid is uncharged
𝑬𝑬 = −𝛁𝛁ɸ = 0 ɸ=0
Vector potential outside the solenoid :-
𝐵𝐵 = 𝛻𝛻 × 𝑨𝑨 = 0
𝑨𝑨. 𝑑𝑑𝒓𝒓 = 𝛁𝛁 × 𝑨𝑨 . 𝑑𝑑𝑺𝑺 = 𝑩𝑩. 𝑑𝑑𝑺𝑺 = φ𝒎𝒎
C S S
φ 𝑚𝑚
𝑨𝑨 = φ
2𝜋𝜋𝑟𝑟
Aharonov-Bohm Effect
 By Anzar Ali
Wavefunction in vector potential 10/15

To describe wavefunction of charged particle, we have to

solve Schrodinger equation. In our case it can be simplified
by writing the wavefunction in the form
𝑟𝑟
𝑒𝑒
ψ 𝐫𝐫, t = eig(𝐫𝐫)ψ’(r, t) Where 𝑔𝑔 𝒓𝒓 = 𝑨𝑨 𝒓𝒓 . 𝑑𝑑𝒓𝒓
ℏ
0
In term of ψ’, the gradient of ψ is

𝜵𝜵𝜓𝜓 = 𝑒𝑒 𝑖𝑖𝑔𝑔 𝒓𝒓 𝑖𝑖𝜵𝜵𝑔𝑔 𝒓𝒓 𝜓𝜓 ′ + 𝑒𝑒 𝑖𝑖𝑔𝑔 𝒓𝒓 (𝜵𝜵ψ′)

Because 𝑒𝑒
𝜵𝜵𝑔𝑔 𝑟𝑟 = 𝑨𝑨
ℏ
Aharonov-Bohm Effect
 Wavefunction in vector potential (Continue)
By Anzar Ali 11/15

−𝑖𝑖ℏ𝜵𝜵 − 𝑒𝑒𝑨𝑨 ψ = −𝑖𝑖ℏ𝑒𝑒𝑖𝑖𝑔𝑔 𝒓𝒓 𝜵𝜵ψ′

(−𝑖𝑖ℏ𝜵𝜵 − 𝑒𝑒𝑨𝑨)2ψ = −ℏ2𝑒𝑒𝑖𝑖𝑔𝑔 𝒓𝒓 𝜵𝜵2ψ′

ℏ2 𝜕𝜕ψ′
− 𝜵𝜵 2 ψ ′ − 𝑉𝑉ψ ′ = 𝑖𝑖ℏ
2𝑚𝑚 𝜕𝜕𝑡𝑡
The solution in presence of vector field is the same
wavefunction, multiplied by phase factor 𝑒𝑒 𝑖𝑖𝑔𝑔(𝑟𝑟).

Aharonov-Bohm Effect
 By Anzar Ali
Aharonov-Bohm effect Experiment 12/15

ψ1 = 𝐴𝐴𝑒𝑒 𝑖𝑖𝑘𝑘𝑥𝑥 1 ψ2 = 𝐴𝐴𝑒𝑒 𝑖𝑖𝑘𝑘𝑥𝑥 2

∆𝚽𝚽0 = 𝑘𝑘(𝑥𝑥1 − 𝑥𝑥2)

∆𝚽𝚽 = 𝑔𝑔1 − 𝑔𝑔2

∆𝚽𝚽 = 𝑒𝑒/ℏ[ 𝑨𝑨 𝒓𝒓 . 𝑑𝑑𝒓𝒓 − 𝑨𝑨 𝒓𝒓 . 𝑑𝑑𝒓𝒓]

𝐶𝐶1 𝐶𝐶2
Phys. Rev., 115, 485, (1959)

∆𝚽𝚽 = 𝑒𝑒/ℏ 𝑨𝑨 𝒓𝒓 . 𝑑𝑑𝒓𝒓

∆𝚽𝚽 = 𝑒𝑒φ𝑚𝑚/ℏ
Aharonov-Bohm Effect
 By Anzar Ali
Practical use of Aharonov-Bohm effect 13/15

 Phase shift between electron beams strongly depends on

enclosed magnetic flux.

 Interference pattern shifts one fringe for every ∆ɸ𝑚𝑚 =

ℎ
= 4.1 × 10−15𝑇𝑇𝑚𝑚2, which is very small value[6].
𝑒𝑒0

 In principle, the effect enables us measurement of

extremely small differences in magnetic flux.

Aharonov-Bohm Effect
 By Anzar Ali
Conclusion 14/15

The main objective of this talk was to show that in

quantum mechanics, electromagnetic potentials appear
to be more fundamental physical entities than fields.
Aharonov-Bohm effect is phenomenon which can’t be
describe in terms of classical mechanics and is of purely
quantum origin. The effect was confirmed by many
different experiments and today it’s existence is widely
accepted.

THANKS
Aharonov-Bohm Effect