Hannover 2013 – scientific programme

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Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik

Q 30: Quantum effects

Q 30.5: Talk

Tuesday, March 19, 2013, 15:15–15:30, F 128

Revisiting the spin in relativistic quantum mechanics — •Heiko Bauke¹, Sven Ahrens¹, Christoph H. Keitel¹, and Rainer Grobe² — ¹Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany — ²Intense Laser Physics Theory Unit and Department of Physics, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790-4560 USA

Recently, renewed interest in the fundamental aspects of the electron spin arose from the growing field of relativistic quantum information [1] and high precision measurements of the electron’s magnetic dipole moment [2]. According to the formalism of quantum mechanics, some Hermitian operator corresponds to each measurable quantity, e. g. the spin. Though the spin is regarded as a fundamental property of the electron there is no universally accepted spin operator within the Dirac theory. We investigate the properties of different proposals for such an operator. It is demonstrated that most candidates are lacking some features which one might naturally expect for a spin angular momentum operator. We will argue that some operator suggested by Pryce [3], however, is an ideal candidate for a relativistic spin operator.

=5 0pt @percent0.046@percent0.954@percent0pt @percent0.046@percent0.954@percent0pt @percent[1]  A. Peres and D. R. Terno, Rev. Mod. Phys. 76, 93 (2004); P. L. Saldanha and V. Vedral, N. J. Phys. 14, 023041 (2012).
[2]  D. Hanneke et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 120801 (2008); S. Sturm et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 107, 023002 (2011).
[3]  M. H. L. Pryce, Proceedings of the Royal Society A 150, 166 (1935).