Eigenfunctions of spin operator

function22
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
What are the eigenfunctions of the spin operators? I know the spin operators are given by Pauli matricies (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spin_operator#Mathematical_formulation_of_spin), and I know what the eigenvalues are (and the eigenvectors), but I have no idea what the eigenfunctions of the spin operator are. I searched google but I could not find a derivation. Does anyone know how to find the eigenfunctions of the spin operator?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Do you mean spin spherical harmonics? These are the functions that represent finite rotations in spin space, half-integer analogs to the Ylm's. They're briefly mentioned in Wikipedia, covered more in this article, and especially in books on angular momentum, like the monograph by Edmonds.
 
Like the Pauli matricies Sx, Sy, Sz, I know the eigenvalues/eigenvectors, but what are the eigenfunctions? I have no idea what they could be.
 
The spin space is an abstract finite dimensional (essentially C^(2s+1)) vector space. There are no <wavefunctions>, just normal quadratic matrices and matrices with one column.
 
Like the Pauli matricies Sx, Sy, Sz, I know the eigenvalues/eigenvectors, but what are the eigenfunctions?
No, NOT like the Pauli matrices. The Pauli matrices are the generators. I'm referring to the matrix functions that represent finite rotations. They are functions in the sense that they are functions of the three Euler angles. And they are eigenfunctions of S and Sz.
 
We often see discussions about what QM and QFT mean, but hardly anything on just how fundamental they are to much of physics. To rectify that, see the following; https://www.cambridge.org/engage/api-gateway/coe/assets/orp/resource/item/66a6a6005101a2ffa86cdd48/original/a-derivation-of-maxwell-s-equations-from-first-principles.pdf 'Somewhat magically, if one then applies local gauge invariance to the Dirac Lagrangian, a field appears, and from this field it is possible to derive Maxwell’s...
I read Hanbury Brown and Twiss's experiment is using one beam but split into two to test their correlation. It said the traditional correlation test were using two beams........ This confused me, sorry. All the correlation tests I learnt such as Stern-Gerlash are using one beam? (Sorry if I am wrong) I was also told traditional interferometers are concerning about amplitude but Hanbury Brown and Twiss were concerning about intensity? Isn't the square of amplitude is the intensity? Please...
I am not sure if this belongs in the biology section, but it appears more of a quantum physics question. Mike Wiest, Associate Professor of Neuroscience at Wellesley College in the US. In 2024 he published the results of an experiment on anaesthesia which purported to point to a role of quantum processes in consciousness; here is a popular exposition: https://neurosciencenews.com/quantum-process-consciousness-27624/ As my expertise in neuroscience doesn't reach up to an ant's ear...
Back
Top