Eur. Phys. J. C (2008) 57: 817-822
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-008-0696-1

Regular Article - Theoretical Physics

Berry’s phase for a spin 1/2 particle in the presence of topological defects

Departamento de Física, CCEN, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Cidade Universitária, 58051-970, João Pessoa, PB, Brazil

^* e-mail: furtado@fisica.ufpb.br

Received: 29 February 2008
Revised: 23 June 2008
Published online: 30 August 2008

Abstract

The relativistic quantum dynamics of a spinorial quantum particle in the presence of a chiral conical background is investigated. We study the gravitational Berry geometric quantum phase acquired by a spin 1/2 particle in the chiral cosmic string spacetime. We obtain the result that this phase depends on the global features of this spacetime. We also consider the case that a string possesses an internal magnetic flux and obtain the geometric quantum phase in this case. The spacetime of multiple chiral cosmic strings is considered and the relativistic Berry quantum phase is also obtained.