Consider a charged quantum particle confined to the xy plane, subject to a magnetic field B=Bˆz.
The Hamiltonian is:
H=12m(p−eAc)2 ,
where A is the vector potential, for which we have a freedom of gauge in choosing. One possible choice is A=Bxˆy, which leads to the Hamiltonian:
H=12m[p2x+(py−mωcx)2],
where ωc=eB/mc is the cyclotron frequency. Following the usual derivation of Landau quantization, we get the wavefunctions:
ψ(x,y)=fn(x−ky/mωc)eikyy,
where fn are the eigenfunctions of the simple harmonic oscillator (n=0,1,2...).
However, we can also choose A=−Byˆx, which following the same lines would lead to the wavefunctions:
ψ(x,y)=fn(y+kx/mωc)eikxx.
The two outcomes seems different by more then just a global phase, yet all we did was use our freedom in picking a gauge.
How does this work out?
Answer
yet all we did was use our freedom in picking a gauge.
No, you did another thing: choosing the complete set of commuting observables. In the first case you choose {H,py} and the second {H,px}. The difference in operators (px vs py) leads to difference in eigenvectors.
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