Spin/Field Hamiltonian Consider a spin-1/2 particle with a magnetic moment H=-e/mS placed in a uniform magnetic field aligned along the z axis. (a) Write the Hamiltonian for this system in matrix form. (b) Verify by explicit matrix calculation that the Hamiltonian does not commute with the spin operators in the z and y directions. Comment on how this affects the expectation values of these operators.

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Spin/Field Hamiltonian Consider a spin-1/2 particle with a magnetic moment
µ = -e/m$ placed in a uniform magnetic field aligned along the z axis.
(a) Write the Hamiltonian for this system in matrix form.
(b) Verify by explicit matrix calculation that the Hamiltonian does not commute
with the spin operators in the r and y directions. Comment on how this affects
the expectation values of these operators.
Transcribed Image Text:Spin/Field Hamiltonian Consider a spin-1/2 particle with a magnetic moment µ = -e/m$ placed in a uniform magnetic field aligned along the z axis. (a) Write the Hamiltonian for this system in matrix form. (b) Verify by explicit matrix calculation that the Hamiltonian does not commute with the spin operators in the r and y directions. Comment on how this affects the expectation values of these operators.
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