Atoms in orthogonal electric and magnetic fields: A comparison of quantum and classical models
作者:
Robert C. Hilborn,
期刊:
American Journal of Physics
(AIP Available online 1995)
卷期:
Volume 63,
issue 4
页码: 330-338
ISSN:0002-9505
年代: 1995
DOI:10.1119/1.17962
出版商: American Association of Physics Teachers
关键词: ATOMS;ELECTRIC FIELDS;MAGNETIC FIELDS;QUANTUM MECHANICS;NONLINEAR PROBLEMS;POLARIZABILITY;ANGULAR MOMENTUM;STARK EFFECT
数据来源: AIP
摘要:
The well‐known Zeeman and Stark effects can lead to unusual atomic state dynamics when both magnetic and electric fields are present. In this paper we analyze quantum mechanical and classical models of the time evolution of the angular momentum of an atom in the presence of weak, orthogonal electric and magnetic fields. The anisotropic electric polarizability of the atom plays a crucial role in the dynamics. The classical model leads to nonlinear evolution equations, and we investigate how quantum mechanics ‘‘avoids’’ the nonlinearity. Finally, we note that the classical equations of motion are identical to those used to describe the time evolution of Stokes vectors for polarized light propagating in an optically nonlinear medium. The treatment is appropriate for an undergraduate course in quantum mechanics.
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