Lecture I Reading: Lecture Notes + Sakurai: Chapter 1: sections 1, 2 and 3 ) I. INTRODUCTION When we say Quantum Physics, we mean non-relativistic QM, its relativistic generalization and also Quantum-Electrodynnamics (QED) Quantum Weirdness & Quantum-Mechanical Way of Thinking Quantum physics is the most successful theory and there has been NO violation of the theory..That is, there are NO experiments that contradict quantum physics. Now, let us recall that Newton’s theory survived more than 200 years before violations were found. Quantum Physics is still less than 100 years old. Is Quantum Mechanics the ultimate Theory ..... NO.. We do not know how to describe gravity in quantum mechanics... Quantizing gravity remains an open challenge ?? String Theory .... Quantizing Einstein’s equations of General Relativity ...... possible alternative theories in working... Quantum mechanics is weird.. non-intuitive..why ??? Probabilistic Theory and EPR paradox ( quantum entanglement... ) Hidden variable Theory... Multi-universe theory...??? To cultivate QM way of thinking, we will not start with the historical approach, but instead begin with one of the most important experiment, that sends a shock wave to those not used to QM.. Aim is to start with quantum spin: two reasons: (1) Simplest way to introduce quantum mechanics: that is all fundamental aspects of quantum can be introduced using spin which is purely quantum mechanical. We do not start with Scrounger equation–that is not the most fundamental thing about quantum description, as we will 1
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To cultivate QM way of thinking, we will not start with the historical approach, but instead
begin with one of the most important experiment, that sends a shock wave to those not used to QM..
Aim is to start with quantum spin: two reasons:
(1) Simplest way to introduce quantum mechanics: that is all fundamental aspects of
quantum can be introduced using spin which is purely quantum mechanical. We do not start with
Scrounger equation–that is not the most fundamental thing about quantum description, as we will
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see shortly.
(2) There is another reason: The story of spin is one of the most beautiful story..
Story of spin is one of the most fascinating story in the history of science...
Where did it begin ???
I : Discovery of Spin in physics: Pauli & The Postulate of Kronig, Uhlenbeck and Goudsmit
• The story of spin begins with the discovery of the multiplicity of spectral terms and
anomalies of Zeeman effect[1].
• Around 1924, the idea that origin of multiplicity of specral lines is the electron began
to crystallize in Pauli’s mind. He proposed that the multiplicity is caused by a strange
two-valuedness of the quantum mechanical properties of the electron which cannot be
described classically.
• In January 1925, a young person physicist Ralph Kronig wanted to propose that electron is
self -rotating, as an extension of Pauli’s idea of two-valuedness of electron. This explained
the multiplicity, except for a factor of two in the level spacing. He discussed this with Pauli
who showed no enthusiasm for it. Factor of half discrepancy and lack of support from Pauli
and also Copenhagen group and idea of self-rotating electron presents difficulties when
examined within the framework of classical theory. For example, if the size of the electron
is e2/mc2, as H.A. Lorentz has considered, then to produce angular momentum of 1/2
requires electron rotating with speed that is 10 times the speed of light. All this prevented
Kronig to publish his idea.
• The rotation of an electron about its own axis, i.e., the electron spin, was first proposed by
Uhlenbeck and Goudsmit in Fall of 1925. Luckily, they did not discuss this with Pauli and
also were not aware of the factor of two discrepancy. After their paper was submitted, they
found out that their spinning electron model violates relativity. They wanted to withdraw
their paper. But their advisor Ehrenfest loved the idea and saw some merit in it even if it
turned out to be wrong.
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• Later on L. H. Thomas resolved the discrepancy of this factor of two. Thomas used classical
relativity, and the classical theory of tops, supplemented by the correspondence principle to
describe the self-rotation of the electron and the discrepancy between theory and experiment
on energy spacing disappeared. ( This factor of two was predicted in Dirac theory...). After
this, the idea of self-rotating electron won Pauli’s approval.
• Pauli presented the first quantum-mechanical formulation of spin using his 2 × 2 matrices
still based on ad hoc assumptions. This led to introduction of spinors to describe the state
of the electron, in contrast to the scalar wave function of the Schodinger theory to describe
the state of the electron.
• II : Dirac Equation
In 1929, Paul Adrian Dirac derives relativistic equation which turns out to be the “ultimate”
theory of electron spin.
“I cannot adequately convey the admiration I feel for Dirac in making this discovery,
nor my gratitude to God for having lifted the scales from mankind’s eyes and giving us
this fantastic gift. Stephen Hawking has stated that if Dirac had somehow been able to
patent his discovery, the royalties he would have received from the worlds electronics
manufacturers alone would have made him a multibillionaire. As it was, in 1933 Dirac
settled for a few thousand dollars and the Nobel Prize in Physics!”...William O. Straub
• III Relation between Spin and Statistics
“ .... the connection between spin and statistics is one of the most important applications of
the special theory of relativity ”.. Pauli, 1940
In 1940, Pauli published his theory that only particles with integral spins are bosons and
only ones with half-integral spin are fermions.
• IV: The g-factor & QED
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Magnetic property of the spin provides, with remarkable precision, the validity of quantum
electrodynamics or QED.
– 2.00244 (experimental) ( 1932)
– 2.08 (theoretical)
– 2.00231930482 ( experimental) (1983)
– 2.00231930476 ( theoretical)
– 2.00231930436182 ( experimental) ( 2017)
– 0.0000000000005 ( uncertanity)
• V : Quaternions & Spin
Spin was actually discovered in 1840’s in mathematics, disguised as ‘quaternions”. See
Appendix II.
II. MAGNETIC MOMENT OF AN ELECTRON
Electron is a charged particles that goes around the nucleus just the way planets go around
the sun. Moving charge is equivalent to a current I = e/T = ev/(2πr.
Current I in a loop of area A, acts like a magnet of dipole moment µl:
µl = IA
= ev(πr2)/(2πr)
= evr/2
=e
2mL
= gl(e~2m
)(L/~)
= glµb√l(l + 1)
µzl = glµbl
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µl is the dipole moment of the electron due to its orbital motion.
Behavior of a Magnetic Dipole Moment in a Magnetic Field
A stationary dipole subjected to magnetic field B precesses about the field, with precession
frequency ω = glµb~ . ( Torque is perpendicular to the angular momentum and hence can only
change the direction of the angular momentum ).
E = −µl ·B
τ =dL
dt
τ = µl ×B
= −glµb~L×B
= −(glµb~B)L sin θ
= ωL sin θ
Effect of Inhomogeneous Field on a dipole µ
If the magnetic field is not uniform, the dipole will experience a force, in addition to torque:
Let B(x, y, z) = −axi + (B0 + bz)k, where B0 is a strong uniform field and the constants a, b
describe the non-uniform part of the field. Note, ∇ · B = 0. Due to Larmor precession, µxloscillates rapidly and averages to zero and the net force is in the z-direction
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B(x, y, z) = −axi+ (B0 + bz)k
F = ∇(µ ·B)
Fz ≈ µz∂zBz
III. STERN- GERLACH EXPERIMENT...
Read section 1.1 of Sakurai. Problem: Compute the deflection
A beam of H-atoms at T = 400 K is sent through SG magnet of length L = 1 m. If the
atoms experience a gradient of 10 Tesla/m, calculate the transverse deflection Z of the atom, due
to the force on its spin dipole moment
1/2mv2x = 2KT
vx =√4KT/m
t = L/vx
Z = 1/2Fzmt2
Fz = ∂zBµ
Ans: Z = ±2.1X10−3m. Introducing Electron Spin
NOTE: (1) In Classical mechanics, a rigid body can have two types of angular momentum,
orbital: L = r × p, associated with the motion of the center of mass and spin: S = Iω, associated
with the motion about the center of mass. But in QM, distinction between these two types is very
fundamental as spin has nothing to do with motion in space-time.
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NOTE (2) Schrodinger QM is completely compatible with the existence of electron spin;
but it does not predict it, so spin must be introduced as a separate postulate.
NOTE (3) Spin operators obey the same algebra as the angular momentum operators. However,
the g factor that relates spin magnetic moment and spin angular momentum, µs = gsµbS/~ is the
gs = 2.
IV. IMPACT OF SG EXPERIMENT
The SG experiment had one of the biggest impacts on modern physics. Firstly, it proves
the existence of spin. Practically all current textbooks describe the Stern-Gerlach splitting as
demonstrating electron spin, without pointing out that the intrepid experimenters had no idea it
was spin that they had discovered.
From Physics Today 2003:
Descendants of the SternGerlach experiment (SGE) and its key concept of sorting quantum
states via space quantization are legion. Among them are the prototypes for nuclear magnetic
resonance, optical pumping, the laser, and atomic clocks, as well as incisive discoveries such
as the Lamb shift and the anomalous increment in the magnetic moment of the electron, which
launched quantum electrodynamics. The means to probe nuclei, pro- teins, and galaxies; image
bodies and brains; perform eye surgery; read music or data from compact disks; and scan bar
codes on grocery packages or DNA base pairs in the human genome all stem from exploiting
transitions be- tween space-quantized quantum states.
(1) In the decade that followed, scientists showed using similar techniques, that the nuclei of
some atoms also have quantized angular momentum. It is the interaction of this nuclear angular
momentum with the spin of the electron that is responsible for the hyperfine structure of the
spectroscopic lines.
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(2) In the thirties, using an extended version of the SG apparatus, Isidor Rabi and colleagues
showed that by using a varying magnetic field, one can force the magnetic momentum to go
from one state to the other. The series of experiments culminated in 1937 when they discovered
that state transitions could be induced using time varying fields or RF fields. The so called Rabi
oscillation is the working mechanism for the Magnetic Resonance Imaging equipment found in
hospitals.
(3) Norman F. Ramsey later modified the Rabi apparatus to increase the interaction time with
the field. The extreme sensitivity due to the frequency of the radiation makes this very useful for
keeping accurate time, and it is still used today in atomic clocks.
(4) In the early sixties, Ramsey and Daniel Kleppner used a SG system to produce a beam of
polarized hydrogen as the source of energy for the hydrogen Maser, which is still one of the most
popular atomic clocks.
(5) The direct observation of the spin is the most direct evidence of quantization in quantum
mechanics.
————————————————————————–
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Stern-Gerlach Experiment & Vector Space
If we ignore nuclear angular magnetic moment ( which is 2000 times smaller than the
electronic moment ) and since angular momentum quantum number l = 0, the magnetic moment
of the Ag atoms is solely due to the intrinsic spin of the electron. This spin cannot be described
by laws of classical mechanics
Note, in SG experiment, only thing we care about is the spin of the atom, which way it is
pointing... We do not care about the spatial coordinates of the atom.. Physical state, like Ag atom
with a definite spin orientation...
Figure 1.3 suggests that this state ( ie, state with the definite spin ) is acting like a vector
in 2D space, as it has only two possible orientations.
• 2D has nothing to do with the x-y coordinates; it is a kind of abstract 2D vector space, where
if we know two vectors, we can find all other vectors:.
• Why states are represented as vectors ???
The general principle of superposition of quantum mechanics applies to state. This is why
sometimes quantum mechanics is also called wave mechanics...
A state can be regarded as a result of a kind of superposition of two or more new states, in
a wave that cannot be conceived on classical ideas. The procedure of expressing a state as a
result of superposition of other states is a mathematical procedure that is always permissible,
independent of any physical conditions, like the procedure of resolving a wave into Fourier
components. Its usefulness depends upon the special physical conditions of the problem
under consideration.
• Non-classical nature of superposition emerges from the fact that coefficients of the
superposition give the probability for determining the system in those superimposed states.
• Superposition process is an additive process that implies that states can be added to give
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other quantities ( that is other states ). The most obvious of such quantities are vectors.
• As we will see, finite number of dimensions may not be enough to describe a state. We have
to make a generalization to space of infinite dimension.
• Following Dirac, there is a special name for describing vectors which are connected with the
states of a system in quantum mechanics, called the ket vectors , or simply kets and denote
them by a special symbol | 〉 . If we want to specify them with a certain label say “x”, we
write | x 〉. In general,
| x 〉 =∑
Ai| xi 〉 , or, | x 〉 =
∫a(x′)| x′ 〉 dx′ (1)
• In SG experiment, Possible states of the system are: