Welcome Physics Lovers! Ask Your Questions About Electron Spin

In summary, the conversation discusses the concept of electron spin and whether it can be altered by external forces. It is explained that spin is an intrinsic property of a particle and cannot be changed. The possibility of altering the orientation of spin is mentioned, as well as the potential for separating or confining electrons with specific spin. It is also mentioned that electron spin can be used to encode binary information.
  • #1
EinsteinII
35
0
Hello Physics Lovers,

I was working and suddenly got this question. What external forces have effects on electron spin, like slowing down/speeding up? Is that a possible thing in the first place?
 
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  • #2
Spin is an intrinsic property of a particle, similar to mass. It cannot be changed at all. Note that the particle isn't actually spinning in a circle. It's just that some of the math involving certain properties behaves AS IF it were a small little ball spinning around.
 
  • #3
Electron is a fermion with spin 1/2 which can't be altered. The orientation of spin can be "up" or "down" and this can be seen by an external electromagnetic force. It may be interesting to read about the Stern-Gerlach experiment: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stern–Gerlach_experiment
 
  • #4
You may be interested to know that it may be possible to separate/select/confine electron with specific spin. See this.
 
  • #5
manojr said:
You may be interested to know that it may be possible to separate/select/confine electron with specific spin. See this.

I think they are just flipping them to encode binary information: spin-up= 0, spin-down= 1.
 

What is electron spin?

Electron spin is an intrinsic property of an electron that describes its angular momentum. It is a quantum mechanical property and is often referred to as the fourth quantum number.

How is electron spin measured?

Electron spin is measured using a technique called electron spin resonance (ESR) or electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). This involves applying a magnetic field to the electron and measuring the energy difference between the two spin states.

What is the significance of electron spin?

The concept of electron spin is crucial in understanding the behavior of atoms and molecules. It helps explain phenomena such as magnetism and the periodic table of elements.

How is electron spin related to quantum computing?

Electron spin is one of the two fundamental qubits (quantum bits) used in quantum computing, the other being the spin of a photon. The ability to manipulate and control electron spin is essential for quantum computing to work.

Can electron spin change?

Yes, electron spin can change under certain conditions, such as in a magnetic field or during a collision with another particle. However, in a closed system, it will remain constant as it is a fundamental property of the electron.

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