Question about commutator involving fermions and Pauli matrices

  • #1
Gleeson
30
4
Suppose ##\lambda_A## and ##\bar{\lambda}_A## are fermions (A goes from 1 to N) and ##\{ \lambda_{A \alpha}, \bar{\lambda}_B^{\beta}\} = \delta_{AB}\delta_{\alpha}^{\beta}##.

Let ##\sigma^i## denote the Pauli matrices.

Does it follow that ##[\bar{\lambda}_A \sigma^i \lambda_A, \bar{\lambda_B} \sigma^j \lambda_B] = 0##? Or should it be ##2i \epsilon_{ijk}\bar{\lambda}_C \sigma^k \lambda_C##?

I think it should be the former. ##\bar{\lambda_A} \sigma^i \lambda_A## is a sum over A of a (2 entry row, times a 2x2 matrix, times a 2 entry column), and so is no longer a matrix. And overall it is bosonic. So I think the commutator should be zero. If this is not the case, then why not?

In case it is not clear, ##\bar{\lambda}_A \sigma^i \lambda_A = \bar{\lambda}_A^{\alpha}\sigma^{i \beta}_{\alpha}\lambda_{A \beta}##. Repeated indices are summed.
 
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  • #2
Just do the calculation! You only have to repeatedly use the identities,
$$[\hat{A} \hat{B},\hat{C}]=\hat{A} \{\hat{B},\hat{C} \} - \{\hat{A},\hat{C} \} \hat{B}$$
and
$$[\hat{A},\hat{B} \hat{C}]=\hat{B} \{\hat{A},\hat{C} \} - \{\hat{A},\hat{B}\} \hat{C}.$$
 

FAQ: Question about commutator involving fermions and Pauli matrices

What is a commutator in the context of quantum mechanics?

In quantum mechanics, a commutator is an operation used to determine the relationship between two operators. It is defined as [A, B] = AB - BA, where A and B are operators. The commutator measures the extent to which the two operators fail to commute, or in other words, how much the order of applying the operators matters.

What are fermions and how do they relate to commutators?

Fermions are particles that follow Fermi-Dirac statistics and obey the Pauli exclusion principle, which states that no two fermions can occupy the same quantum state simultaneously. In terms of commutators, fermion creation and annihilation operators anticommute rather than commute, meaning {a_i, a_j} = a_i a_j + a_j a_i = 0 for fermionic operators. This is in contrast to bosonic operators, which typically commute.

What are Pauli matrices and why are they important?

Pauli matrices are a set of three 2x2 complex matrices used in quantum mechanics to describe spin-1/2 particles, such as electrons. They are important because they form the basis of the algebra of spin operators and are used to represent the spin components along different axes. The Pauli matrices are usually denoted as σ_x, σ_y, and σ_z, and they satisfy specific commutation and anticommutation relations.

How do you compute the commutator of Pauli matrices?

The commutator of two Pauli matrices σ_i and σ_j is given by [σ_i, σ_j] = σ_i σ_j - σ_j σ_i. The result of this commutation is [σ_i, σ_j] = 2i ε_ijk σ_k, where ε_ijk is the Levi-Civita symbol and i, j, k represent the different Pauli matrices. This relation is fundamental in understanding the algebraic structure of angular momentum in quantum mechanics.

What is the significance of commutators involving fermions and Pauli matrices in quantum field theory?

In quantum field theory, commutators involving fermions and Pauli matrices are crucial for understanding the behavior of particles with spin-1/2. These commutators help in constructing the algebra of the fields and operators that describe fermionic particles. They also play a significant role in defining the symmetries and conservation laws in the theory, such as those related to spin and angular momentum.

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