4.8: The simple example revisited
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Consider, again, the example of adding to spin-1/2 angular momenta. This time, we will use the Clebsch-Gordan coefficients directly to determine the unitary transformation. Start with the state \(\vert 1\;\;1\rangle\). Expanding gives
Only one term gives \(m_1+m_2=1\), which is clearly \(m_1=1/2\) and \(m_2=1/2\). Thus,
The Clebsch-Gordan coefficients, by special case \(i\) is just 1, so
as expected.
The state \(\vert 1\;\;0\rangle\) is expanded as
This time, since \(m_1+m_2=0\), two terms contribute, \(m_1=1/2, m_2=-1/2\) and \(m_1=-1/2, m_2=1/2\). Hence,
However, since \(j_1+j_2=1\), we can use special case \(iii\), and we find
\(\displaystyle {\left<{1 \over 2}\;\;\;{1 \over 2};{1 \over 2}\;\;\;-{1 \over 2}\right\vert}1\;\;0\rangle\) | \(\textstyle =\) | \(\displaystyle \sqrt (click for details) \sqrt Callstack:
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(click for details) = {1 \over \sqrt{2}}\) Callstack:
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\(\displaystyle {\left<{1 \over 2}\;\;\;-{1 \over 2};{1 \over 2}\;\;\;{1 \over 2}\right\vert}1\;\;0\rangle\) | \(\textstyle =\) | \(\displaystyle \sqrt (click for details) \sqrt Callstack:
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(click for details) = {1 \over \sqrt{2}}\) Callstack:
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so that
It is straightforward to show that \(\vert 1\;\;-1\rangle = {\left\vert{1 \over 2}\;\;\;-{1 \over 2};{1 \over 2}\;\;\;-{1 \over 2}\right>}\). The state \(\vert\;\;0\rangle\) is expanded to give
Again there are two terms that contribute. However, to determine the two Clebsch-Gordan coefficients:
we can use special case \(ii\), since \(M=J\). In this case,
\(\displaystyle {\left<{1 \over 2}\;\;\;{1 \over 2};{1 \over 2}\;\;\;-{1 \over 2}\right\vert}0\;\;0\rangle\) | \(\textstyle =\) | ||
\(\displaystyle {\left<{1 \over 2}\;\;\;-{1 \over 2};{1 \over 2}\;\;\;{1 \over 2}\right\vert}0\;\;0\rangle\) | \(\textstyle =\) |
Hence, the state is given by