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The formal variation of this condition is $\delta F=({\partial }^2+2iA\cdot \partial )\alpha$. Thus its Faddeev-Popov ghost field operator can be chosen as ${\mathcal{O}}_A=-{\partial }^2-2iA\cdot \partial$. With $D_{\mu }={\partial }_{\mu }+i{A}_{\mu }$, one has $D^2={\partial }^2+2iA\cdot \partial +iF[A]$, so ${\mathcal{O}}_A=-D^2$ on the formal gauge slice. The reality obstruction for a complex Euclidean gauge condition prevents interpreting this slice as an ordinary real Euclidean gauge fixing without an additional complex-contour prescription.

A massless complex bosonic charged scalar field with $D_{\mu }={\partial }_{\mu }+i{A}_{\mu }$ contributes $[\det (-D^2){]}^{-1}$ to a Gaussian background-field integral. A Faddeev-Popov ghost field pair contributes $\det {\mathcal{O}}_A$. On the formal complex quadratic Abelian gauge condition, ${\mathcal{O}}_A=-D^2$, so the two determinants cancel and their effective-action contributions sum to zero. Use matching regulators, boundary conditions and removed zero modes. This is a formal cancellation of closed loops; the reality obstruction for a complex Euclidean gauge condition precludes deducing that physical scalar quantum electrodynamics has no quantum effects.

Write $F[A]={\partial }_{\mu }{A}_{\mu }+i{A}_{\mu }{A}_{\mu }$ and choose the U(1) gauge symmetry convention $A_{\mu }\mapsto A_{\mu }+{\partial }_{\mu }\alpha$. Its infinitesimal variation isA formal BRST symmetry construction uses $s{A}_{\mu }={\partial }_{\mu }c$, $sc=0$, $s\bar{c}=ih$, $sh=0$ and the gauge-fixing fermion $\Psi =\int \bar{c}(F-i\xi h/2)d^{4}x$. Acting with the odd differential givesFor a real admissible gauge functional, integration over $h$ gives $F^2/(2\xi )$ in the Euclidean action, and $\xi \to 0$ imposes the gauge condition. Overall constant phases in the Faddeev-Popov determinant can be absorbed in the measure convention. Here nonlinear Abelian gauge fixing makes ${\mathcal{O}}_A$ depend on $A$. The action for the Faddeev-Popov ghost fields contains the interaction $-2i\bar{c}{A}_{\mu }{\partial }_{\mu }c$, so the Faddeev-Popov ghost fields cannot be discarded as in a linear Abelian gauge, even though the $U(1)$ Adjoint representation is trivial.

There is a genuine reality obstruction for a complex Euclidean gauge condition in the source. For a Hermitian $U(1)$ gauge field, each Euclidean component $A_{\mu }$ is real. The real and imaginary parts of $F=0$ separately require $\partial \cdot A=0$ and ${\sum }_{\mu }{A}_{\mu }^2=0$, hence $A=0$. For example $A_2=B{x}_1$, with other components zero and $B\ne 0$, has curvature $F_{12}=B$; no gauge transformation can put it on this slice because curvature is gauge invariant. Thus the stated condition is not a gauge fixing of general real Euclidean configurations. The boxed action is the intended formal complex-gauge construction. A legitimate complexified contour prescription would be additional data, not an ordinary real delta-functional enforcing this printed condition.