Gao, Shan (2025) Comment on "Aharonov-Bohm Phase is Locally Generated Like All Other Quantum Phases". [Preprint]

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Abstract

Marletto and Vedral [Phys. Rev. Lett. 125, 040401 (2020)] propose that the Aharonov-Bohm (AB) phase is locally mediated by entanglement between a charged particle and the quantized electromagnetic field, asserting gauge independence for non-closed paths. Using quantum electrodynamics (QED), we critically analyze their model and demonstrate that the AB phase arises from the interaction with the vector potential \(\mathbf{A}\), not from entanglement, which is merely a byproduct of the QED framework. We show that their field-based energy formulation, intended to reflect local electromagnetic interactions, is mathematically flawed due to an incorrect prefactor and involves fields inside the solenoid, failing to support local mediation of the phase. Its equivalence to \(q \mathbf{v} \cdot \mathbf{A}\) holds only in the Coulomb gauge, undermining their claim of a gauge-independent local mechanism. Furthermore, we confirm that the AB phase is gauge-dependent for non-closed paths, contradicting their assertion. Our analysis reaffirms the semi-classical interpretation, where the AB phase is driven by the vector potential \(\mathbf{A}\), with entanglement playing no causal role in its generation.

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Item Type:	Preprint
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Gao, Shan sgao7319@uni.sydney.edu.au
Keywords:	Aharonov-Bohm effect; quantum electrodynamics; entanglement; field-based energy; vector potential; gauge-dependence for non-closed paths
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Field Theory Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Mechanics Specific Sciences > Physics > Symmetries/Invariances
Depositing User:	Prof. Shan Gao
Date Deposited:	24 Apr 2025 12:54
Last Modified:	24 Apr 2025 12:54
Item ID:	25154
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Field Theory Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Mechanics Specific Sciences > Physics > Symmetries/Invariances
Date:	24 April 2025
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/25154

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