PHYS 4010 3.

0 Addition of angular momentum

In quantum mechanics we sometimes have to add angular momenta. In

the hydrogen atom the electron can have orbital angular momentum L ~ in
~
addition to its intrinsic spin S. We also have systems of many electrons
where we have to add the spins of the different electrons.
In these systems it is the eigenvalue j of the total angular momentum
denoted by J~ that is the “good” quantum number. That is, it total angular
momentum that is conserved and commutes with the Hamiltonian.

~ =0
[H, J]
We must therefore find the eigenstates of J 2 and Jz .
This is not as simple as it first sounds as the following illustrates. Let’s
consider two angular momenta for two different particles, L~1 and L~2 . These
operators certainly commute as they act on different on the variables of
particle-1 and particle-2 separately. The total angular momentum is

J~ = L~1 + L~2
Therefore

J 2 = (L~1 + L~2 )2 = L21 + L22 + 2L

~1 · L
~2
~1 · L
We see that it’s the cross-term 2L ~ 2 that will introduce complexity as

~1 · L
L ~ 2 = L1x L2x + L1y L2y + L1z L2z
L L + L L 
1+ 2− 1− 2+
= + L1z L2z
2

It is obvious that the two-particle state |l1 , m1 i|l2 , m2 i is not an eigen-

function of this operator. In fact it is linear combinations of states that are
the eigenfunctions. The correct linear combinations are constructed with
Clebsch-Gordon coefficients.
X
l1 X
l2
|(l1 l2 )jmi = |l1 m1 i|l2 m2 ihl1 m1 l2 m2 |jmi
m1 =−l1 m2 =−l2

The expansion coefficients hl1 m1 l2 m2 |jmi are the Clebsch-Gordon coeffi-

cients. These are tabulated below.

1
PHYS 4010 3.0 Addition of angular momentum

35. Clebsch-Gordan coefficients 1

35. CLEBSCH-GORDAN COEFFICIENTS, SPHERICAL HARMONICS,

AND d FUNCTIONS

J J ...
Note: A square-root sign is to be understood over every coefficient, e.g., for −8/15 read − 8/15. Notation:
M M ...
1  m1 m2
1/2×1/2 +1 1 0 3
Y10 = cos θ 2× 1/2 + 5/2 m1 m2 Coefficients
+ 1/2 + 1/2 1 0 0 4π 5/2 5/2 3/2
+ 1/2 − 1/2 1/2 1/2 1
 + 2 +1/2 1 + 3/2 + 3/2
. .
3 . .
− 1/2 + 1/2 1/2 − 1/2 −1 Y11 =− sin θ e iφ + 2 − 1/2 1/5 4/5 5/2 3/2 . .
− 1/2 − 1/2 1 8π + 1 + 1/2 4/5 − 1/5 + 1/2 + 1/2
 
5 3 1 + 1 − 1/2 2/5 3/5 5/2 3/2
Y20 = cos2 θ − 0 + 1/2 3/5 − 2/5 − 1/2 − 1/2
1× 1/2 3/2 4π 2 2
+ 3/2 3/2 1/2  0 − 1/2 3/5 2/5 5/2 3/2
15 − 1 + 1/2 2/5 − 3/5 − 3/2 − 3/2
+ 1 + 1/2 1 + 1/2 + 1/2 Y21 = − sin θ cos θ eiφ
8π 2 − 1 − 1/2 4/5 1/5 5/2
+ 1 − 1/2 1/3 2/3 3/2 1/2
 3/2×1/2 + 2 2 1 − 2 + 1/2 1/5 − 4/5 − 5/2
0 + 1/2 2/3 − 1/3 − 1/2 − 1/2
1 15 + 3/2 +1/2 1 + 1 + 1
0 − 1/2 2/3 1/3 3/2 Y22 = sin2 θ e2iφ − 2 − 1/2 1
− 1 + 1/2 1/3 − 2/3 − 3/2
4 2π + 3/2 − 1/2 1/4 3/4 2 1
+ 1/2 + 1/2 3/4 − 1/4 0 0
2× 1 + 33 3 2 − 1 − 1/2 1
3/2×1 + 5/2 5/2
+ 1/2 − 1/2 1/2 1/2 2 1
5/2 3/2
+2 +1 1 +2 +2 + 3/2 + 1 1 + 3/2 + 3/2 − 1/2 + 1/2 1/2 − 1/2 − 1 − 1
+ 2 0 1/3 2/3 3 2 1 + 3/2 0 2/5 3/5 5/2 3/2 1/2 − 1/2 − 1/2 3/4 1/4 2
+ 1 + 1 2/3 −1/3 +1 +1 +1 + 1/2 + 1 3/5 − 2/5 + 1/2 + 1/2 + 1/2 − 3/2 + 1/2 1/4 − 3/4 − 2
+ 2 −1 1/15 1/3 3/5 + 3/2 − 1 1/10 2/5 1/2 − 3/2 − 1/2 1
1× 1 + 22 2 1 + 10 + 10 8/15 1/6 − 3/10
2/5 − 1/2 1/10
3
0
2
0
1
0
+ 1/2 0 3/5 1/15 − 1/3 5/2 3/2 1/2
− 1/2 + 1 3/10 − 8/15 1/6 − 1/2 − 1/2 − 1/2
+1 +1 1 +1 +1
+ 1 − 1 1/5 1/2 3/10 + 1/2 − 1 3/10 8/15 1/6
+ 1 0 1/2 1/2 2 1 0 0 0 3/5 0 − 2/5 3 2 1 − 1/2 0 3/5 − 1/15 − 1/3 5/2 3/2
0 + 1 1/2 − 1/2 0 0 0 − 1 + 1 1/5 − 1/2 3/10 −1 −1 −1 − 3/2 + 1 1/10 − 2/5 1/2 − 3/2 − 3/2
+ 1 − 1 1/6 1/2 1/3 0 − 1 2/5 1/2 1/10 − 1/2 − 1 3/5 2/5 5/2
0 0 2/3 0 − 1/3 2 1 − 1 0 8/15 − 1/6 − 3/10 3 2 − 3/2 0 2/5 − 3/5 − 5/2
− 1 + 1 1/6 − 1/2 1/3 − 1 − 1 − 2 + 1 1/15 − 1/3 3/5 − 2 − 2 − 3/2 − 1 1
0 − 1 1/2 1/2 2 − 1 − 1 2/3 1/3 3
Y−m = (−1)m Ym∗ − 1 0 1/2 − 1/2 − 2  − 2 0 1/3 − 2/3 − 3
j1 j2 m1 m2 |j1 j2 JM 
−1 −1 1 4π −2 −1 1
d m,0 = Y m e−imφ = (−1)J−j1 −j2
j2 j1 m2 m1 |j2 j1 JM 
2 + 1 
j
j
d m
,m = (−1)m−m d m,m
= d −m,−m

j 3/2× 3/2 3
1/2 θ 1 + cos θ
+3 3 2 d 10,0 = cos θ d 1/2,1/2 = cos d 11,1 =
+ 3/2 + 3/2 1 +2 +2 2 2
2× 3/2 + 7/2 7/2 + 3/2 + 1/2 1/2 1/2 3 2 1 1/2 θ 1 sin θ
7/2 5/2
+ 1/2 + 3/2 1/2 − 1/2 + 1 + 1 +1 d 1/2,−1/2 = − sin d 1,0 = − √
+ 2 + 3/2 1 + 5/2 + 5/2 2 2
+ 3/2 − 1/2 1/5 1/2 3/10
+ 2 + 1/2 3/7 4/7 7/2 5/2 3/2 + 1/2 + 1/2 3/5 0 − 2/5 3 2 1 0 1 − cos θ
+ 1 + 3/2 4/7 − 3/7 + 3/2 + 3/2 + 3/2 − 1/2 + 3/2 1/5 − 1/2 3/10 0 0 0 0
d 11,−1 =
2
+ 2 − 1/2 1/7 16/35 2/5 + 3/2 − 3/2 1/20 1/4 9/20 1/4
+ 1 +1/2 4/7 1/35 − 2/5 7/2 5/2 3/2 1/2
+ 1/2 − 1/2 9/20 1/4 − 1/20 − 1/4
4
2×2 +4 4 3
0 +3/2 2/7 − 18/35 1/5 + 1/2 + 1/2 + 1/2 + 1/2 − 1/2 + 1/2 9/20 − 1/4 − 1/20 1/4 3 2 1
+ 2 − 3/2 1/35 6/35 2/5 2/5 − 3/2 + 3/2 1/20 − 1/4 9/20 − 1/4 − 1 − 1 −1
+2 +2 1 +3 +3
+ 1 − 1/2 12/35 5/14 0 − 3/10 + 1/2 − 3/2 1/5 1/2 3/10
+2 +1 1/2 1/2 4 3 2 0 +1/2 18/35 − 3/35 − 1/5 1/5 7/2 5/2 3/2 1/2
+1 +2 1/2 − 1/2 + 2 +2 +2 − 1/2 − 1/2 3/5 0 − 2/5 3 2
− 1 +3/2 4/35− 27/70 2/5 − 1/10 − 1/2 − 1/2 − 1/2 − 1/2 − 3/2 + 1/2 1/5 − 1/2 3/10 − 2 − 2
+ 2 0 3/14 1/2 2/7 + 1 − 3/2 4/35 27/70 2/5 1/10
+ 1 +1 4/7 0 − 3/7 4 3 2 1 − 1/2 − 3/2 1/2 1/2 3
0 − 1/2 18/35 3/35 − 1/5 − 1/5
0 +2 3/14 − 1/2 2/7 +1 +1 +1 +1 − 1 +1/2 12/35 − 5/14 0 3/10 7/2 5/2 3/2
− 3/2 − 1/2 1/2 − 1/2 − 3
+ 2 − 1 1/14 3/10 3/7 1/5 − 2 +3/2 1/35 − 6/35 2/5 − 2/5 − 3/2 − 3/2 − 3/2 − 3/2 − 3/2 1
+ 1 0 3/7 1/5 − 1/14 − 3/10 0 − 3/2 2/7 18/35 1/5
0 +1 3/7 − 1/5 − 1/14 3/10 4 3 2 1 0 − 1 − 1/2 4/7 − 1/35 − 2/5 7/2 5/2
− 1 +2 1/14 − 3/10 3/7 − 1/5 0 0 0 0 0
− 2 + 1/2 1/7− 16/35 2/5 − 5/2 − 5/2
+ 2 − 2 1/70 1/10 2/7 2/5 1/5 − 1 − 3/2 4/7 3/7 7/2
+ 1 − 1 8/35 2/5 1/14 − 1/10 − 1/5 − 2 − 1/2 3/7 − 4/7 − 7/2
0 0 18/35 0 − 2/7 0 1/5
− 1 +1 8/35 − 2/5 1/14 1/10 − 1/5 4 3 2 1 − 2 − 3/2 1
3/2 1 + cos θ θ − 2 +2 1/70 − 1/10 2/7 − 2/5 1/5 −1 −1 −1 −1
d 3/2,3/2 = cos
2 2 + 1 − 2 1/14 3/10 3/7 1/5
√ 1 + cos θ  1 + cos θ 2 0 − 1 3/7 1/5 − 1/14 − 3/10
3/2 θ d 22,2 = − 1 0 3/7 − 1/5 − 1/14 3/10 4 3 2
d 3/2,1/2 =− 3 sin 2
2 2 − 2 +1 1/14 − 3/10 3/7 − 1/5 −2 −2 −2
√ 1 − cos θ θ 1 + cos θ 0 − 2 3/14 1/2 2/7
3/2
d 3/2,−1/2 = 3 cos d 22,1 = − sin θ − 1 − 1 4/7 0 − 3/7 4 3
2 2 2
√ 1 + cos θ − 2 0 3/14 − 1/2 2/7 −3 −3
3/2 1 − cos θ θ 6 d 21,1 = (2 cos θ − 1)
d 3/2,−3/2 = − sin d 22,0 = sin2 θ 2 −1 − 2 1/2 1/2 4
2 2 4  −2 − 1 1/2 − 1/2 − 4
3/2 3 cos θ − 1 θ 1 − cos θ 3 −2 −2 1
d 1/2,1/2 = cos d 22,−1 = − sin θ d 21,0 = − sin θ cos θ
2 2 2 2
3 cos θ + 1 θ  1 − cos θ 2 1 − cos θ 3 1
3/2 2
d 1/2,−1/2 = − sin d 2,−2 = d 21,−1 = (2 cos θ + 1) d 20,0 = cos2 θ −
2 2 2 2 2 2

Figure 35.1: The sign convention is that of Wigner (Group Theory, Academic Press, New York, 1959), also used by Condon and Shortley (The
Theory of Atomic Spectra, Cambridge Univ. Press, New York, 1953), Rose (Elementary Theory of Angular Momentum, Wiley, New York, 1957),
and Cohen (Tables of the Clebsch-Gordan Coefficients, North American Rockwell Science Center, Thousand Oaks, Calif., 1974). The coefficients
here have been calculated using computer programs written independently by Cohen and at LBNL.

2
PHYS 4010 3.0 Addition of angular momentum

Let’s construct the eigenstates of J 2 for two electrons with no orbital

angular momentum, just their spins. Looking at the table we see that there
is a sub-table for 1/2 × 1/2
The table tells us that the eigenstates of J 2 are

|1, 1i = | 21 , 12 i | 12 , 21 i
|1, 0i = √12 { | 12 , 12 i | 12 , − 21 i + | 21 , − 12 i | 21 , 12 i }
|1, −1i = | 21 , − 12 i | 12 , − 12 i
|0, 0i = √12 { | 12 , 12 i | 12 , − 21 i − | 21 , − 12 i | 12 , 21 i }

Even though we have the table, it is instructive to find the eigenstates

algebraically. We start by introducing more compact notation.

↑≡ | 21 , 1
2
i ↓≡ | 21 , − 12 i
Now

J 2 = (S ~2 )2 = S12 + S22 + S1+ S2− + S1− S2+ + 2S1z S2z

~1 + S

In our new notation ↑↑≡ | 21 , 1

2
i| 12 , 1
2
i , therefore

J 2 ↑↑ = 43 ~2 ↑↑ + 34 ~2 ↑↑ +0 + 0 + 2( ~2 )2 ↑↑
= 2~2 ↑↑
= 1(1 + 1)~2 ↑↑

From this we can conclude that ↑↑ is an eigenstate of J 2 with eigenvalue

2
2~ and j = 1. We also have

Jz = S1z + S2z
and therefore

Jz ↑↑= 12 ~ ↑↑ + 21 ~ ↑↑= ~ ↑↑
From this we can conclude that ↑↑ is an eigenstate of Jz with eigenvalue
~ and m = 1.

3
PHYS 4010 3.0 Addition of angular momentum

Therefore

↑↑= |1, 1i
A similar calculation gives

↓↓= |1, −1i

Things get more interesting when we act with J 2 on a mixed state

J 2 ↑↓ = 34 ~2 ↑↓ + 43 ~2 ↑↓ +0 + ~2 ↓↑ −2( ~2 )2 ↑↓
= ~2 ↑↓ +~2 ↓↑
= ~2 (↑↓ + ↓↑)

and
Jz ↑↓= 0
Therefore ↑↓ is not an eigenstate of J 2 but is an eigenfunction of Jz with
eigenvalue 0.
A similar calculation gives

J 2 ↓↑= ~2 (↑↓ + ↓↑)

and
Jz ↓↑= 0
We can add the two J 2 equations and we get

J 2 (↑↓ + ↓↑) = 2~2 (↑↓ + ↓↑)

We can add the two Jz equations and we get

Jz (↑↓ + ↓↑) = 0
Subtracting both pairs of equations gives

J 2 (↑↓ − ↓↑) = 0

and

Jz (↑↓ − ↓↑) = 0

4
PHYS 4010 3.0 Addition of angular momentum

After we properly normalize the states, we reproduce our previous result

|1, 1i = ↑↑
|1, 0i = √12 (↑↓ + ↓↑)
|1, −1i = ↓↓

These three states form a so-called “spin-triplet”.

The fourth state j = 0, m = 0 is a “spin-singlet”

|0, 0i = √1 (↑↓ − ↓↑)

2