Quantum-Mechanical Analysis of a Longitudinal Stern-Gerlach Effect

Authors

Gordon A. Gallup, UNLFollow
Herman Batelaan, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow
Timothy J. Gay, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow

Date of this Version

May 2001

Comments

Published by American Physical Society. Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 20 (2001). http://prl.aps.org. Copyright © 2001 American Physical Society. Permission to use.

Abstract

We present the results of a rigorous quantum-mechanical calculation of the propagation of electrons through an inhomogeneous magnetic field with axial symmetry. A complete spin polarization of the beam is demonstrated assuming that a Landau eigenstate can be inserted into the field. This is in contrast with the semiclassical situation, where the spin splitting is blurred.