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Quantization Without Postulates: Deriving ℏ from Phase Winding

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DOI
10.20944/preprints202507.2668.v1

Planck’s constant \hbar is usually introduced as a fundamental postulate of quantum theory. In this work, we derive \hbar analytically from a topological action principle, showing that it emerges as the minimal quantized action required to stabilize a coherent spinor phase configuration. We model the field as Ψ(x)=ρ(x)eiΘ(x)\Psi(x) = \rho(x) e^{i\Theta(x)}, where Θ(x)\Theta(x) is a compact scalar valued on S1S^1. Within this framework, we define the class of minimal winding configurations C1/2\mathcal{C}_{1/2}, characterized by half-integer topological charge γμΘ dxμ=π\oint_\gamma \partial_\mu \Theta\, dx^\mu = \pi. We demonstrate that the least non-vanishing action over this class is finite, topologically invariant, and equal to \hbar. This implies that \hbar is not a postulate, but a phase-ontological consequence of topological fixation. We further analyze connections with Aharonov–Bohm phenomena, persistent phase currents, and quantized interference effects as physical manifestations of discrete winding. Our results open a new perspective on quantization grounded in global phase topology.

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