SPIN
#2
SPIN
The electron is point like, and there is nothing that rotates. The
spin of the electron is just an intrinsic property as its mass…
S. Gasiorowicz, Quantum Physics
Experiments confirm that electron possesses an additional
intrinsic angular momentum unconnected with its motion in
space involving half integral quantum numbers.
This attribute is peculiar to quantum theory. It disappears in the
limit 0 . It has therefore no classical interpretation.
The intrinsic angular momentum is called spin, as distinct from
the angular momentum due to the motion in space.
ANGULAR MOMENTUM AS A GNERATOR OF “ROTATION”
i
Lx
R( ) e Finite Rotation about x-Axis on states.
i
L
y Finite Rotation about y-Axis on states.
R( ) e
i
L
z Finite Rotation about z-Axis on states.
R( ) e
[ Li , L j ] i ijk Lk
STEPPING IN SPIN
Rotation of by :
'
1 1 ( x, y ) R 1 ( x, y ) 1 (x y, y x) 2 (x y, y x)
'
2 2 ( x, y ) R 2 ( x, y ) 1 (x y, y x) 2 (x y, y x)
i Lz
1 (x y, y x) 1 ( x, y ) y x 1 ( x, y ) 1 1 ( x, y )
x y
i Lz
2 (x y, y x) 2 ( x, y ) y x 2 ( x, y ) 1 2 ( x, y )
x y
Under the an infinitesimal rotations about the z-Axis, the
wave function transforms as:
'
1
1 0 i Lz 0 i 0 i 1
'
2
0 1 0 Lz i 0 2
Jz L(1)
z I (2) I (1) S z(2) Lz Sz
'
1 i 1 i 1
'
1 ( Lz Sz ) 1 Jz
2 2 2
Identify J z , the generator of infinitesimal rotations about the
z-Axis on states, the z-component of angular momentum.
J L S
J i are generator of rotations.
[ Ji , J j ] i ijk Jk
Si & Li act on different parts of the wave function.
( x, y , z ; )
[ J i , J j ] [ Li , L j ] [ Si , S j ] i ijk Lk i ijk Sk
[ Si , S j ] i ijk Sk
MATRIX REPRESENTATIONS OF SPIN ANGULAR
MOMENTUM
S 2 s, ms 2
s ( s 1) s, ms , S z s, ms ms s, ms
1 3
ms s, s 1,..., s 1, s; s 0, ,1, ,....
2 2
S s, ms s ( s 1) ms (ms 1) s, ms 1 ;[ S Sx Sy ]
s, ms S z s , ms ms s s ms ms
s, ms S s , ms s ( s 1) ms (ms 1) s s ms , ms 1
s, ms | s , ms s s ms ms
SPIN 1/2
1 1 1
s ; ms ,
2 2 2
1 1 1 1
s, ms , , ,
2 2 2 2
1 1
2 3 2 1 1 1 1 1 1
S , , , Sz , ,
2 2 4 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
1 1 2 1 1 1 1 2 1 1
, S , , S ,
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 2 1 0
S
1 1 2 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 4 0 1
, S , , S ,
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
, Sz , , Sz ,
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 0
Sz
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 0 1
, Sz , , Sz ,
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
0 1 0 i
Sx , Sy
2 1 0 2 i 0
2 2
0 1 0 i 0 i 0 1
Sx S y S y Sx
2 1 0 i 0 2 i 0 1 0
1 0
i i Sz
2 0 1
[S x , S y ] i S z
