Off-diagonal long-range order, restricted gauge transformations, and Aharonov-Bohm effect in conductors

Journal Article · Fri Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1996 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.76.2207· OSTI ID:284447

Peshkin, M ^[1]

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1. Physics Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439-4843 (United States)

The electrons in a conductor surrounding an external magnetic field are acted on by a vector potential that cannot be removed by a gauge transformation. Nevertheless, a macroscopic normal conductor can experience no Aharonov-Bohm (AB) effect. That is proved by assuming only that a normal conductor lacks off-diagonal long-range order (ODLRO), which means that the electrons lack long-range phase coherence. Then by restricting the Hilbert space to density matrices which lack ODLRO, one can introduce a restricted gauge transformation that removes the interaction of the conductor with the vector potential. Consequently, the AB effect on a beam particle is not shielded by the conductor. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}

• Research Organization: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 284447
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 13 Vol. 76; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

66 PHYSICS
AHARONOV-BOHM EFFECT
CONDUCTOR DEVICES
DENSITY MATRIX
ELECTRIC CONDUCTORS
GAUGE INVARIANCE
HILBERT SPACE
MAGNETIC FIELDS
POTENTIALS
TRANSFORMATIONS