- #1
cragar
- 2,552
- 3
Homework Statement
A spin-1 particle is placed in a constatn external B field
with [itex] B_0 [/itex] in the x direction. the intial spin of the particle
is spin up in the z direction.
Take the spin Hamiltonian to be [itex] H=\omega_0 S_x [/itex]
determine the probability that the particle is in the state |1,-1> at time t.
The Attempt at a Solution
Would I start with using the [itex] S_x [/itex] matrix in the z basis and then
set this equal to spin 1 and then find the eigenvector for this equation and that
will give me the amplitudes for spin-1, spin-0 and spin minus 1 and these will be amplitudes
in the x basis then I will just time evovle that intial state.
So I will have [itex] S_xQ=1Q [/itex]
where Q is a generic column vector and 1 is the eigenvalue because we are
spin up in the z direction. Or do I need everything in the x basis.
But it seems like I first have to work in the z basis because we know it is spin up in the z direction.