- #1
Vanilla Gorilla
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- TL;DR Summary
- Is there a way to translate a particle's spin into regular motion?
Is there a way to translate a quantum particle's spin into regular motion in any of the directions?
Nope, it was me who misunderstood.vanhees71 said:Maybe I misunderstand the orginal question
That would be the famous Stern-Gerlach experiment, as described in post #6.Vanilla Gorilla said:I think I phrased the question somewhat poorly. My bad. What I meant to ask was whether or not there is a known mechanism that could differentiate between two values of given spin, say up or down, and subsequently, "translate," that either value of spin into a corresponding direction in motion.
Vanilla Gorilla said:Is there a way to do the reverse?
Vanilla Gorilla said:this Mach-Zehnder interferometer would be able to convert momentum into polarization?
Vanilla Gorilla said:By bends the electron, I'm assuming you mean that it would just accelerate the electron one way for one spin value, and a correspondingly opposite way for the opposite spin value?
Vanilla Gorilla said:And the reverse process "translates" (Sorry, can't think of a better term) direction of momentum into spin?
PeterDonis said:the magnitude of both the linear momentum and the spin of the particle is the same after going through the device as before
Vanilla Gorilla said:So the reverse process not have anything to do w/ momentum?
Vanilla Gorilla said:Is there a way to do the reverse?
It's very confusing to say "convert momentum into polarization". What happens in a Stern-Gerlach experiment for spin and with polarizing beam splitters is that you entangle the polarization with the momentum of the particle. Take, e.g., some birefringent crystal as a polarizing beam splitter. It can be described with classical physics: Due to the anisotropic dielectric tensor the refraction index is different for horizontal and vertical polarized field modes and thus the refraction angle for these two polarization modes is different, which means that an arbitrarily polarized beam gets split into one beam horizontally and the other vertically polarized, i.e., the momentum (direction) is entangled with the polarization. Using single photons in arbitrary polarization it gets randomly refracted in the one or the other direction with probabilities weighted as the intensity of the corresponding classical em. waves, i.e., the single photon behind the beam splitter is in a state where the polarization is entangled with its momentum. The entire description of a lossless (idealized) polarizing beam splitter is given by some unitary operator.Vanilla Gorilla said:And polarization can be affected by the principles behind quantum entanglement, yes? Also, just for confirmation, this Mach-Zehnder interferometer would be able to convert momentum into polarization?
In addition, unrelated question, but I'm curious if all particles are waves as well, does that mean all particles have polarizations?
And separately, reversing the mechanism that could differentiate between two values of given spin, say up or down, and subsequently, "translate," that either value of spin into a corresponding direction in motion?
To the contrary, Ballentine's book is one of the few that is not spoiled by the notorious collapse doctrine, but that's interpretation and belongs to the corresponding subforum!atyy said:The experiment is discussed by Ballentine in his notorious Quantum Mechanics book. In the 1998 edition, it is referenced in Chapter 9, p243. Unfortunately, Balletine's book is especially flawed and tainted by his eccentric personal views in that chapter, so reader beware!
Vanilla Gorilla said:Can particles like electrons have polarization, since they are also waves?
Particle spin is an intrinsic property of subatomic particles that describes their angular momentum. It is related to regular motion because the spin of a particle can affect how it behaves in a magnetic field, which can in turn influence its motion.
Yes, it is possible to use the spin of a particle to manipulate its motion. This is known as spin manipulation and is a key concept in quantum computing and other advanced technologies.
There are several methods for measuring a particle's spin, including using magnetic fields, observing the particle's interactions with other particles, and using specialized equipment such as spin polarimeters.
Yes, the direction of a particle's spin can be changed through various methods, such as applying a magnetic field or using specialized equipment to manipulate the particle's spin state.
Understanding particle spin has many applications in technology, including in quantum computing, magnetic storage devices, and medical imaging techniques such as MRI. It also has potential uses in developing new materials and technologies for energy storage and transmission.