Phys 481 Midterm Review

2/24/17

1. Consider a spin 1 particle under the influence of

2
H= S ,
~2 z
where is a constant with units that are appropriate to give H units of energy.

(a) Write out this Hamiltonian as a matrix.

(b) What are the possible values for a measurement of this particles energy?
(c) What are the normalized eigenvectors for this system?

Suppose this particle enters a potential so that its Hamiltonian is now

2
Hnew = S + (Sx + Sz ),
~2 z ~

0 1 0
where is also a constant and Sx = ~/ 2 1 0 1.
0 1 0
(d) What are the possible values for a measurement of this particles energy when its in this new
potential?
(e) Determine the states whose energies are changed when subject to this new potential.
(f) Qualitatively describe how your answers to this problem would change Sz2 in the Hamiltonians above
were replaced with S 2 . In particular, describe any changes in how you would apply perturbation
theory.

1
2. A beam of electrons exits an oven into a Stern-Gerlach apparatus that has a homogeneous magnetic
field pointing in the z-direction, thus polarizing the beam in the z-direction (we call this apparatus
SGz; see figure 1 below). The Sz component of the beam is then blocked out and the remaining Sz +
beam (of intensity I0 ) then enters a second SG apparatus. How many beams emerge from the second
SG apparatus and what are their respective intensities if the second apparatus is:

(a) An SGz apparatus.

(b) An SGx apparatus (i.e. an apparatus with a homogeneous magnetic field pointing in the x-direction
instead of the z-direction).
(c) Suppose now, we add a third SGz apparatus to the picture (see figure 1 (c)). If the second
apparatus in this setup is an SGx (as in part b) apparatus, but only the Sx + beam is allowed to
pass between the second and third apparatus, how many beams emerge from the third apparatus,
and what is the intensity of each?
(d) Same as part (c), but let the third apparatus be an SGy apparatus instead of an SGz.

Figure 1: SG-apparatus setup for question 2

3. An electron is in the spin state  

cos(/2)
|i = A
sin(/2)

(a) Find A.
(b) If you measure Sz on this electron, what values could you get, and what is the probability of each?
At which value of will a measurement of Sz always yield +~/2? What about ~/2?
(c) If you measure Sx on this electron, what values could you get and what are the probabilities of
each? At which value of will a measurement of Sz always yield +~/2? What about ~/2?
(d) What, physically, do you think represents? Test your prediction by computing hSz i and hSx i and
comparing with what youd expect from your prediction.

2
4. (Optional but recommended) A spin 1/2 particle is in a state described by
 
0 r/a it/~
= N (Y11 + 2Y10 + Y11 ) e e ,
1

where N is a normalization constant. Write down the possible values and corresponding probabilities
if you were to make a measurement of:

(a) Lz (d) S 2 (g) J 2

(b) L2 (e) Sx
(c) Sz (f) Jz (recall J L + S) (h) The energy of the particle.

for this state.

Figure 2: Table for Clebsch-Gordan Coefficients