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Hello,
I have been researching a bit of quantum physics, and I have encountered a conceptual problem.
Basically, we have an electron whose spin is aligned along some axis, and we wish to measure the spin along the z-axis. So what we do, is that we put the electron between two magnets. This automatically aligns the spin of the electron so that the spin is pointing up. If the spin was originally pointing up, then no photon is emitted. If the spin was originally pointing down, then a photon is emitted. If the spin was pointing in an arbitrary direction, then a photon can or can not be emitted depending on a probability. Is this correct so far?
However, after the measurement, the electron is thrown into one of the eigenstates. So if I measure the spin being up, then the electron is thrown into the state where the spin is up. And if I measure the spin being down, then the electron is thrown into the case where the spin is down. OK?
Here is my problem: suppose that the original alignment of the electron is such that the spin is down. Then measuring the spin will emit a photon (with probability 1). And this causes the spin to be realigned in the up-direction.
However, after the measurement, they say that the electron is thrown into the state where the spin is down. Aren't these two statements contradictory?? How does the electron leave the experiment?
Thanks for your time
I have been researching a bit of quantum physics, and I have encountered a conceptual problem.
Basically, we have an electron whose spin is aligned along some axis, and we wish to measure the spin along the z-axis. So what we do, is that we put the electron between two magnets. This automatically aligns the spin of the electron so that the spin is pointing up. If the spin was originally pointing up, then no photon is emitted. If the spin was originally pointing down, then a photon is emitted. If the spin was pointing in an arbitrary direction, then a photon can or can not be emitted depending on a probability. Is this correct so far?
However, after the measurement, the electron is thrown into one of the eigenstates. So if I measure the spin being up, then the electron is thrown into the state where the spin is up. And if I measure the spin being down, then the electron is thrown into the case where the spin is down. OK?
Here is my problem: suppose that the original alignment of the electron is such that the spin is down. Then measuring the spin will emit a photon (with probability 1). And this causes the spin to be realigned in the up-direction.
However, after the measurement, they say that the electron is thrown into the state where the spin is down. Aren't these two statements contradictory?? How does the electron leave the experiment?
Thanks for your time