A quantum treatment of the Stern-Gerlach experiment
Fuente:
arXiv
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| Formato: | Preprint |
| Publicado: |
2024
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| _version_ | 1866909118102503424 |
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| author | Fonseca-Romero, K. M. |
| author_facet | Fonseca-Romero, K. M. |
| contents | Most textbooks introduce the concept of spin by presenting the Stern-Gerlach experiment with the aid of Newtonian atomic trajectories. However, to understand how both spatial and spin degrees of freedom evolve over time and how the latter influence experimental outcomes, it is essential to employ a quantum approach. In this paper, we offer two simple methods, the Baker-Campbell-Hausdorff formula and the direct integration of the Schrödinger equation in an interaction picture, to determine the corresponding evolution operator. We not only provide an interpretation of the individual terms within this operator but also establish connections with semiclassical calculations, when feasible. Moreover, we compute the wave function and touch upon the concept of position-spin entanglement to illustrate how a full quantum description of the Stern-Gerlach experiment can open doors to topics like quantum measurement and nonlocality. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2402_14930 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | A quantum treatment of the Stern-Gerlach experiment Fonseca-Romero, K. M. Quantum Physics Physics Education Most textbooks introduce the concept of spin by presenting the Stern-Gerlach experiment with the aid of Newtonian atomic trajectories. However, to understand how both spatial and spin degrees of freedom evolve over time and how the latter influence experimental outcomes, it is essential to employ a quantum approach. In this paper, we offer two simple methods, the Baker-Campbell-Hausdorff formula and the direct integration of the Schrödinger equation in an interaction picture, to determine the corresponding evolution operator. We not only provide an interpretation of the individual terms within this operator but also establish connections with semiclassical calculations, when feasible. Moreover, we compute the wave function and touch upon the concept of position-spin entanglement to illustrate how a full quantum description of the Stern-Gerlach experiment can open doors to topics like quantum measurement and nonlocality. |
| title | A quantum treatment of the Stern-Gerlach experiment |
| topic | Quantum Physics Physics Education |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.14930 |