- #1
Filipa
I was studying the spin-orbit interaction and the Zeeman effect, and came across the concept of optically active electrons.
Initially I got the idea that an optically active electron is any unpaired electron. But then, while trying to understand the Zeeman effect in a Cadmium atom, for which all electrons in the ground state are paired, I got confused because for this atom there are optically active electrons, otherwise it wouldn't be observable the Zeeman effect.
So, can anyone clarify to me what actually is an optically active electron?
Thanks in advance
Initially I got the idea that an optically active electron is any unpaired electron. But then, while trying to understand the Zeeman effect in a Cadmium atom, for which all electrons in the ground state are paired, I got confused because for this atom there are optically active electrons, otherwise it wouldn't be observable the Zeeman effect.
So, can anyone clarify to me what actually is an optically active electron?
Thanks in advance