Structure of nonlinear gauge transformations

Abstract

Nonlinear Doebner-Goldin [Phys. Rev. A 54, 3764 (1996)] gauge transformations (NGT) defined in terms of a wave function $\psi(x)$ do not form a group. To get a group property one has to consider transformations that act differently on different branches of the complex argument function and the knowledge of the value of $\psi(x)$ is not sufficient for a well defined NGT. NGT that are well defined in terms of $\psi(x)$ form a semigroup parametrized by a real number $\gamma$ and a nonzero $\lambda$ which is either an integer or $-1\leq \lambda\leq 1$. An extension of NGT to projectors and general density matrices leads to NGT with complex $\gamma$. Both linearity of evolution and Hermiticity of density matrices are gauge dependent properties.