2.

7 Spin-1 System 59

However, a quantum mechanical experiment on a spin component eigenstate does not yield the time
dependence of the precession implied by the picture in Fig. 2.10(a). Rather, the quantum mechanical
spin vector is more accurately thought of as smeared out over the whole cone in a uniform random sense.
This randomness is often termed quantum fuzziness and will be evident in other systems we will study
later. To avoid the inaccurate precession part of the vector model, it is often illustrated as in Fig. 2.10(b).

2.7  SPIN-1 SYSTEM

The Stern-Gerlach experiment depicted in Fig. 1.1 can be performed on a variety of atoms or par-
ticles. Such experiments always result in a finite number of discrete beams exiting the analyzer. For
spin-1/2 particles, there are two output beams. For the case of three output beams, the deflections are
consistent with magnetic moments arising from spin angular momentum components of 1U, 0 U, and
-1U. For an analyzer aligned along the z-axis, the three output states are labeled 0 19 , 0 0 9 , and 0 -19 ,
as shown in Fig. 2.11. This is what we call a spin-1 system. (Note that the SPINS software and our
Stern-Gerlach schematics use arrows for the 0 19 and 0 -19 output beams, but these outputs are not the
same as the spin-1/2 states that are also denoted with arrows.)
The three eigenvalue equations for the spin component operator Sz of a spin-1 system are
Sz 0 19 = U 0 19
Sz 0 0 9 = 0 U 0 0 9 (2.109)
Sz 0 -19 = -U 0 -19 .
As we did in the spin-1/2 case, we choose the Sz basis as the standard basis in which to express kets
and operators using matrix representation. In Section 2.1, we found that eigenvectors are unit vectors
in their own basis and an operator is always diagonal in its own basis. Using the first rule, we can
immediately write down the eigenvectors of the Sz operator:
1 0 0
0 19  ° 0 ¢ 0 09  ° 1¢ 0 -19  ° 0 ¢ , (2.110)
0 0 1
where we again use the convention that the ordering of the rows follows the eigenvalues in descending
order. Using the second rule, we write down the Sz operator
1U 0 0 1 0 0
Sz  ° 0 0U 0 ¢ = U °0 0 0¢ (2.111)
0 0 -1U 0 0 -1

with the eigenvalues 1U, 0 U, and -1U ordered along the diagonal. The value zero is a perfectly valid
eigenvalue in some systems.

1
?
0
Z 0
?
1
?
FIGURE 2.11 Spin-1 Stern-Gerlach experiment.
60 Operators and Measurement

The same four experiments performed on the spin-1/2 system can be performed on a spin-1 sys-
tem. Conceptually the results are the same. One important difference occurs in Experiment 2, where a
measurement of Sz is first performed to prepare a particular state, and then a subsequent measurement
of Sx (or Sy) is performed. Based upon the results of the spin-1/2 experiment, one might expect each of
the possible components to have one-third probability. Such is not the case. Rather, one set of results is

P1x = 0 x8 1 0 1 9 0 =
2 1
4

P0x = 0 x8 0 0 1 9 0 =
2 1 (2.112)
2

P-1x = 0 x8 -1 0 1 9 0 = 14 ,
2

as illustrated in Fig. 2.12. These experimental results can be used to determine the Sx eigenstates in
terms of the Sz basis

0 1 9 x = 12 @ 1 9 + 1
12
@0 9 + 12 @ -1 9
0 09x = 1
12
@1 9- 1
12
@ -1 9 (2.113)

0 -1 9 x = 12 @ 1 9 - 1
12
@0 9 + 12 @ -1 9.
Likewise, we can find the Sy eigenstates:

0 1 9 y = 12 @ 1 9 + i 12
1
@ 0 9 - 12 @ -1 9
0 09y = 1
12
@1 9+ 1
12
@ -1 9 (2.114)

0 -1 9 y = 12 @ 1 9 - i 12
1
@ 0 9 - 12 @ -1 9.

The matrix representations of the Sx and Sy operators are

0 1 0 0 -i 0
U U
Sx  °1 0 1¢ Sy  °i 0 -i ¢ . (2.115)
12 12
0 1 0 0 i 0

1 x
1 25
Z 0 X 0
0 x 50
1 x
25
FIGURE 2.12 Experiment 2 in the spin-1 case.
2.7 Spin-1 System 61

Example 2.3 A spin-1 system is prepared in the state

0 cin 9 = 2
16
0 19 - i
16
0 09 + i
16
0 -1 9 . (2.116)

Find the probabilities of measuring each of the possible spin components along the z-axis.
The probability of measuring S z = +1U is

P1 = 08 1 0 cin 90
2

= @ 8 1 0 C 16 0 19 - 0 09 0 -1 9D @
2
2 i i
16
+ 16

@ 16 -1 9 @
(2.117)
81 0 19 - 81 0 09 81 0
2
= 2 i
16
+ i
16

@ 16 @
2
= 2
= 23 .

The probability of measuring Sz = 0 U is

P0 = 08 0 0 cin 90
2

= @ 8 0 0 C 16 0 19 - 0 09 0 -1 9D @
2
2 i i
16
+ 16 (2.118)

@ 16 @
2
= -i
= 16 .

The probability of measuring S z = -1U is

P-1 = 08 -1 0 cin 90
2

= @ 8 -1 0 C 16 0 19 - 0 09 0 -1 9D @
2
2 i i
16
+ 16 (2.119)

@ 16i @
2
= = 16 .

The three probabilities add to unity, as they must. A histogram of the predicted measurement results
is shown in Fig. 2.13.

Ψin 1 (2 1 i0 i 1) P
√6
1
P1

P−1 P0
Sz
0
FIGURE 2.13 Histogram of measurements of z-component of spin for spin-1 particle.