Generalized Geometrical Phase in the Case of Continuous Spectra

Abstract

A quantal system in an eigenstate, of operators with a continuous nondegenerate eigenvalue spectrum, slowly transported round a circuit C by varing parameters in its Hamiltonian, will acquire a generalized geometrical phase factor. An explicit formula for a generalized geometrical phase is derived in terms of the eigenstates of the Hamiltonian. As an illustration the generalized geometrical phase is calculated for relativistic spinning particles in slowly-changing electromagnetic fields. It is shown that the the S-matrix and the usual scattering (with negligible reflexion) phase shift can be interpreted as a generalized geometrical phase.