The Stern-Gerlach Effect for

Electrons*
Herman Batelaan
Gordon Gallup
Julie Schwendiman
TJG

Behlen Laboratory of Physics

University of Nebraska
Lincoln, Nebraska 68588-0111

*Work funded by the NSF Physics Division

Electron Polarization

P trspin

N() N()
P P
N() N()

example:
P = 0.3:
65% spin-up
35% spin-down
 f g cos
Atomic Collisions A

(from G.D.Fletcher et alii,

PRA 31, 2854 (1985))
Work done at NIST Gaithersburg by
M.R.Scheinfein et alii,
RSI 61, 2510 (1991)
From The Theory of Atomic
Collisions, N.F.Mott and
H.S,W. Massey
 Anti-Bohr Devices
a)
N

+V -V

(Knauer)
b)

(Darwin)
c)

(Brillouin)
1930 Solvay Conference Le Magnetism
 See e.g.,
Cohen-Tannoudji, Diu, et Lalo
Merzbacher
Mott & Massey
Baym
Keler
Ohanian..
 Z
I

e-
Which ball arrives first ?
A) high road
B) low road
C) simultaneously
 x
e-
Hy 0
Hz Hx Hz
vz
Hx x z

Hy 0
Hx H vz
1(!! )
z
x z

v x
CALCULATIONS
d 1 Hz H x iH y 1
i B
dt 2 H x iH y H z 2
eigenenergies

E
spin B H ( x, y, z)
integrate

dp e
F (v H ) Espin
dt c

(spin-flip probability < 10-3)

CHOOSE INITIAL CONDITIONS

me (x)i (v)i / 2

x(T ) (x)02 (v) 2 T 2

T
(x)i (x)0
2me
 2a B B0 1 z f 1 zi
( zi z f )a 2a B B0
z spin tan tan 2
2
me vz2 a
a a z i m v
e z
2

require zspin ~ 1mm

use Bo = 10T, a = 1 cm (105A!)

vz ~ 105 m/s (30 meV)

t ~ 10s

xi ~ 100 m
H. Batelaan et al., PRL 79, 4518 (1997)
 Landau States
En = (pz2/2m) + (2n + 1)BB BB
n = (0,1,2,3.)
(n, ms)
E-(pz2/2m)
1, +1/2
2, -1/2

0, +1/2
1, -1/2

0 0, -1/2
NB - The net
acceleration of the
(leading) spin-
backward electrons
is zero.
 Pauli Case Landau Case
rp ~ /2 rp ~ /2

B B
 MAGNETIC BOTTLE FORCES

Bz 0

z , e

B z
0
z
L (always || B )

S

L (always || B )

B

B z


F B Fz L B
z
Fully quantum-mechanical calculation

(field due to a current loop)

Landau Hamiltonian
KE
~ -LB
~ -BB
G.A.Gallup et alii, PRL 86. 4508 (2001)
 S

F = S/W
 Gedanken apparatus
106 Hz

~ ~ TDC

1m, 104 turns, 5A

2 cm bore, 10T

APERTURES
10m 1m
 Landau States
En = (pz2/2m) + (2n + 1)BB BB
n = (0,1,2,3.)
(n, ms)
E-(pz2/2m)
1, +1/2
2, -1/2

0, +1/2
1, -1/2

0 0, -1/2
 v

B
z; t = z/v

Gradient = B/ ; Gradient force = (BB/ ); accel/decel = (BB/ me) = a

If 2a << v2, time lag = t = 2a/v3
Let B = 1T, = 0.1m, Ebeam = 100 keV ( = 0.55) t = 4 x 10-19 s (!)
Since the transit time threough the magnet = 2 ns, R ~ 10-8
 Conclusions
The Bohr-Pauli analysis of Brillouins proposal is wrong.

More generally, their prohibition against the spatial separation of electron

spin based on classical trajectories through macroscopic classical fields
fails.

A proper semi-classical analysis of Brillouins gedanken experiment yields

Rayleigh-resolved spin states.

A rigorous quantum-mechanical analysis (corresponding to reality) yields

complete and, in principle, arbitrarily large separation of spin states.

Experiments to observe such spin-spitting are feasible (i.e., not totally

insane), but would be very difficult.
y
x
e
-

Hz
vz
Hx

z
 a b
0
.
1
0
.
0
02
number of e- x(m)
-
0
.
1 -
0
.
00
2
5
0 5
0

0 0
0
.
9
99
7z)1
(
m .
0
00
30.
9
99z
(
m1
).
0
00
 a b
0
.
1
0
.
0
02
number of e- x(m)
-
0
.
1 -
0
.
00
2
5
0 5
0

0 0
0
.
9
99
7z)1
(
m .
0
00
30.
9
99z
(
m1
).
0
00
Feasibility ?