English

Double-valuedness of the electron wave function and rotational zero-point motion of electrons in rings

Superconductivity 2014-11-21 v1

Abstract

I propose that the phase of an electron's wave function changes by π\pi when the electron goes around a loop maintaining phase coherence. Equivalently, that the minimum orbital angular momentum of an electron in a ring is /2\hbar/2 rather than zero as generally assumed, hence that the electron in a ring has azimuthal zero point motion. This proposal provides a physical explanation for the origin of electronic `quantum pressure', it implies that a spin current exists in the ground state of aromatic ring molecules, and it suggests an explanation for the ubiquitousness of persistent currents observed in mesoscopic rings.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1007.2834,
  title  = {Double-valuedness of the electron wave function and rotational zero-point motion of electrons in rings},
  author = {J. E. Hirsch},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1007.2834},
  year   = {2014}
}