Non-Abelian Geometrical Phase for General Three-Dimensional Quantum Systems

Abstract

Adiabatic $U(2)$ geometric phases are studied for arbitrary quantum systems with a three-dimensional Hilbert space. Necessary and sufficient conditions for the occurrence of the non-Abelian geometrical phases are obtained without actually solving the full eigenvalue problem for the instantaneous Hamiltonian. The parameter space of such systems which has the structure of $\xC P^2$ is explicitly constructed. The results of this article are applicable for arbitrary multipole interaction Hamiltonians $H=Q^{i_1,\cdots i_n}J_{i_1}\cdots J_{i_n}$ and their linear combinations for spin $j=1$ systems. In particular it is shown that the nuclear quadrupole Hamiltonian $H=Q^{ij}J_iJ_j$ does actually lead to non-Abelian geometric phases for $j=1$. This system, being bosonic, is time-reversal-invariant. Therefore it cannot support Abelian adiabatic geometrical phases.