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We describe the quantum mechanical rotation of a photon state, the Wigner rotation—a quantum effect that couples a transformation of a reference frame to a particle’s spin, to investigate geometric phases induced by Earth’s gravitational field for observers in various orbits. We find a potentially measurable quantum phase of the Wigner rotation angle in addition to the rotation of standard fame, the latter of which is computed and agrees well with the geodetic rotation. When an observer is in either a circular or a spiraling orbit containing non-zero angular momentum, the additional quantum phase contributes 10−6 degree to 10−4 degree respectively, depending on the altitude of the Earth orbit. In the former case, the additional quantum phase is dominant over the near-zero classical geodetic rotation. Our results show that the Wigner rotation represents a non-trivial semi-classical effect of quantum field theory on a background classical gravitational field.

The notion of mode shaping based on evanescent coupling has been successfully applied in various fields of optics, such as in the dispersion engineering of optical waveguides. Here, we show that the same concept provides an opportunity for the seemingly different field of ultra-high-field MRI, addressing transmit RF magnetic field (B1+) inhomogeneity. In this work, treating the human phantom as a resonator, we employ an evanescently coupled high-index cladding layer to study the effects of the auxiliary potential on shaping the B1+ field distribution inside the phantom. Controlling the strength and coupling of the auxiliary potential ultimately determining the hybridized mode, we successfully demonstrate the global 2D homogenization of axial B1+ for a simplified cylindrical phantom and for a more realistic phantom of spheroidal geometry. The mode-shaping potentials with a magnetic permeability or material loss are also tested to offer additional degrees of freedom in the selection of materials as well as in the manipulation of the B1+ distribution, opening up the possibility of B1+ homogenization for 3D MRI scanning.