Manon Bischoff
"Short-term change in the direction of a magnetic field (or another parameter) describes a closed curve in this space —just like my circular path on the globe. Because this parameter space is usually curved, this leaves traces in the wave function.
"'The geometric phase can therefore be regarded as the best answer the system can offer to the question ‘What path in parameter space did the system take?' Berry wrote in his 1988 Scientific American article. 'In this sense it is a kind of quantum memory.'
"Berry had thus revealed a profound connection between quantum systems and geometry, which turned out to be extremely valuable.
"The Berry phase, named after him, can be used to explain phenomena such as the quantum Hall effect, which occurs in certain solids and raised many questions before Berry’s discovery.
"He didn’t have to add anything new to physics or mathematics —instead mathematics made it possible to reveal something completely unexpected in physics."
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