You are on page 1of 12

Lecture 5: Weak-field Zeeman effect and Hyperfine Splitting

(last lecture on time-independent perturbation theory)

a tutorial session for two more case studies of time-independent perturbation theory

Let us do experiments first

Virtual Zeeman effect experiments in classroom:

Zeeman effect is also a direct proof of the quantization of the angular momentum

Origin of Zeeman effect


spin angular momentum
angular momentum leads to magnetic dipole:

orbital angular momentum

Magnetic dipole interacts with an external field:

Let the field be in the Z direction

If Zeeman effect is weak, it can be regarded as perturbations on those quantum states already corrected by fine-structure calculations.

Since degeneracy in angular momentum quantum numbers (j or ) are lifted already by fine-structure corrections, and because are diagonal in the representation, first-order Zeeman splitting is then given by the following expectation value

Calculating
projection of S on J

an approximation based on some intuition

S J

projection on z

L
S and L precess around J, J itself precesses around Z

Finally, the 1st order Zeeman correction

Lande g-factor

Hyperfine splitting
Electron dipole moment due to its spin Proton dipole moment due to its spin

Different gyromagnetic ratio suggests their different internal structure

Hyperfine structure is due to the interaction between the electron dipole and the proton dipole Magnetic field associated with the proton dipole:

(check Jackson: electro-dynamics)

Hence the perturbing dipole-dipole interaction is:

So for zero orbital angular momentum states (hence no more degeneracy from the spatial wavefunctions), the hyperfine correction is given by

prove this is zero!

For hydrogen ground state:

triplet state
singlet state

Hyperfine splitting: the 21-centimeter line:


The energy values now depend on the relative spin orientation of the proton with respect to the electron

triplet
4 fold degeneracy

eV

singlet

In retrospect, in previous two lectures we have considered:

Spin-orbit coupling: electron spin interacting with the magnetic field due to electrons orbital motion Proton magnetic dipole interacting with the electron spin

Summary
Though the hydrogen spectrum is highly degenerate, we may still easily apply non-degenerate/degenerate perturbation theory based on good understandings of the perturbation under consideration. This time we analyzed the week-field Zeeman effect as well as the hyperfine splitting due to the interaction between the proton magnetic dipole and the electron magnetic dipole.

Historically Zeeman effect gave direct evidence of angular momentum quantization. Today, it is still an important aspect of quantum mechanics because it represents a simple means of using external field to manipulate quantum energy levels.

You might also like