Exploring Quantum Physics

Coursera, Spring 2013 Instructors: Charles W. Clark and Victor Galitski

Guest Lecture: Electron Spin
Part III: Spin Dynamics and LS Coupling
Guest lecturer:
Prof. Ian Appelbaum, U. Maryland Physics Dept.
http://appelbaum.physics.umd.edu
Spin in a magnetic field
s are 2x2 Pauli matrices
m
s
=+1/2 spin up
m
s
=-1/2 spin down
(m
s
=, g=2)
Eigenvalues/eigenvectors:
State evolution
Example: An electron spin is prepared in an eigenstate of S
x
. It then evolves in a
magnetic field along . What is the expectation value of the x-component of spin?
Eigenstates:
Time evolution in B
z
:
Expectation value:
Similarly,
Larmor precession at frequency
set by up/down splitting in B
z
:
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Magnetic
moment:
So
Adding orbital and spin angular momenta
Only total angular momentum (J=L+S) is conserved NOT L+2S!
Can we still conclude
If so, what is our new g?
But what is S L?
Land g-factor
g : Land g-factor
(m
J
=-j,-j+1, , j-1,+j)
g
L
: Land g-factor
Alfred Land
Examples:
Anomalous Zeeman effect explained
j m
J
g
L
Selection rules:
j=+1 or -1 and
m
J
=0,+1, or -1.
2
2/3
-2/3
1/3
-1/3
g
L
m
J
2-1= +1
2/3-1= -1/3
2/3-(-1)= +5/3
-2/3-1= -5/3
-2/3-(-1)= +1/3
j m
J
g
L
m
J
=0,+1, or -1. -2/3
-2
g
L
m
J
1
-1
-2/3-(-1)= +1/3
-2-(-1)= -1
i
n
t
e
n
s
i
t
y
h

0
-5/3 -1 -1/3 +1/3 +1 +5/3 x
B
B
z
Note SIX spectral lines, and ALL shift with B
z
because of different g-factors!