Singlet And Triplet Operators
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Updated
2009-04-27 09:55
Singlet and Triplet Operators
Please understand the contents of Adding Angular Momenta before reading this page.
Ql is a projection operator that satisfies the following:
Ql = ΣmL | l mL > < l mL | where mL = -l to +l
< l' m'L | Ql | l' m'L > equals 1 if l=l' and 0 otherwise
L2 = Σl l(l+1) Ql where l = | j-k | to j+k.
| Operator | Value |
|---|---|
| Q0 | singlet operator |
| Q1/2 | doublet operator |
| Q1 | triplet operator |
| Q3/2 | quadruplet operator |
| Q2 | quintet operator |
| Q5/2 | sextuplet operator |
| Q3 | septuplet operator |
| Ql | (2l+1)-multiplet operator |
| Operator | Value |
|---|---|
| Q0 | 1 - Q1 for j=1/2, k=1/2 |
| Q1 | 1 - Q0 for j=1/2, k=1/2 |
| Q1/2 | 1 - Q3/2 for j=1, k=1/2 |
| Q3/2 | 1 - Q1/2 for j=1, k=1/2 |
| Q1 | 1 - Q2 for j=3/2, k=1/2 |
| Q2 | 1 - Q1 for j=3/2, k=1/2 |
| Q3/2 | 1 - Q5/2 for j=2, k=1/2 |
| Q5/2 | 1 - Q3/2 for j=2, k=1/2 |
| Q2 | 1 - Q3 for j=5/2, k=1/2 |
| Q3 | 1 - Q2 for j=5/2, k=1/2 |
| Operator | Value |
|---|---|
| Q0 | 1 - Q1 - Q2 for j=1, k=1 |
| Q1 | 1 - Q0 - Q2 for j=1, k=1 |
| Q2 | 1 - Q0 - Q1 for j=1, k=1 |
| Q1/2 | 1 - Q3/2 - Q5/2 for j=3/2, k=1 |
| Q3/2 | 1 - Q1/2 - Q5/2 for j=3/2, k=1 |
| Q5/2 | 1 - Q1/2 - Q3/2 for j=3/2, k=1 |
| Q1 | 1 - Q2 - Q3 for j=2, k=1 |
| Q2 | 1 - Q1 - Q3 for j=2, k=1 |
| Q3 | 1 - Q1 - Q2 for j=2, k=1 |
| Q0 | 1 - Q1 - Q2 - Q3 for j=3/2, k=3/2 |
| Q1 | 1 - Q0 - Q2 - Q3 for j=3/2, k=3/2 |
| Q2 | 1 - Q0 - Q1 - Q3 for j=3/2, k=3/2 |
| Q3 | 1 - Q0 - Q1 - Q2 for j=3/2, k=3/2 |
In the following, M = L2 = l(l+1) = 2 J • K + j(j+1) + k(k+1) holds.
| Operator | Value |
|---|---|
| Q0 | -(4M-8)/8 for j=1/2, k=1/2 |
| Q1 | (4M)/8 for j=1/2, k=1/2 |
| Q1/2 | -(4M-15)/12 for j=1, k=1/2 |
| Q3/2 | (4M-3)/12 for j=1, k=1/2 |
| Q1 | -(4M-24)/16 for j=3/2, k=1/2 |
| Q2 | (4M-8)/16 for j=3/2, k=1/2 |
| Q3/2 | -(4M-35)/20 for j=2, k=1/2 |
| Q5/2 | (4M-15)/20 for j=2, k=1/2 |
| Q2 | -(4M-48)/24 for j=5/2, k=1/2 |
| Q3 | (4M-24)/24 for j=5/2, k=1/2 |
| Operator | Value |
|---|---|
| Q0 | (M-2)(M-6)/12 for j=1, k=1 |
| Q1 | -(M)(M-6)/8 for j=1, k=1 |
| Q2 | (M)(M-2)/24 for j=1, k=1 |
| Q1/2 | (4M-15)(4M-35)/384 for j=3/2, k=1 |
| Q3/2 | -(4M-3)(4M-35)/240 for j=3/2, k=1 |
| Q5/2 | (4M-3)(4M-15)/640 for j=3/2, k=1 |
| Q1 | (M-6)(M-12)/40 for j=2, k=1 |
| Q2 | -(M-2)(M-12)/24 for j=2, k=1 |
| Q3 | (M-2)(M-6)/60 for j=2, k=1 |
| Q0 | -(M-2)(M-6)(M-12)/144 for j=3/2, k=3/2 |
| Q1 | (M)(M-6)(M-12)/80 for j=3/2, k=3/2 |
| Q2 | -(M)(M-2)(M-12)/144 for j=3/2, k=3/2 |
| Q3 | (M)(M-2)(M-6)/720 for j=3/2, k=3/2 |
| Value of M = L2 = l(l+1) | j, k combination giving it |
|---|---|
| 2 J • K + 6/4 | j=1/2, k=1/2 |
| 2 J • K + 11/4 | j=1, k=1/2 |
| 2 J • K + 18/4 | j=3/2, k=1/2 |
| 2 J • K + 27/4 | j=2, k=1/2 |
| 2 J • K + 38/4 | j=5/2, k=1/2 |
| 2 J • K + 16/4 | j=1, k=1 |
| 2 J • K + 23/4 | j=3/2, k=1 |
| 2 J • K + 32/4 | j=2, k=1 |
| 2 J • K + 30/4 | j=3/2, k=3/2 |
Mnemonic:
In the preceding table, starting with M for j=1/2, k=1/2,
for each 1/2 you add to j or k, you can obtain the next value of M by adding
successive odd integers divided by 4 (that is, 5/4, 7/4, 9/4, 11/4, 13/4, etc.):
Raising j or k from 1/2 to 1 adds 5/4 to M,
Raising j or k from 1 to 3/2 adds 7/4 to M,
Raising j or k from 3/2 to 2 adds 9/4 to M,
Raising j or k from 2 to 5/2 adds 11/4 to M, etc.
In the following, N = J • K = (1/2)l(l+1) - j(j+1) - k(k+1) = (1/2)M - j(j+1) - k(k+1) holds.
| Value of N = J • K | j, k combination giving it |
|---|---|
| (4M-6)/8 | j=1/2, k=1/2 |
| (4M-11)/8 | j=1, k=1/2 |
| (4M-18)/8 | j=3/2, k=1/2 |
| (4M-27)/8 | j=2, k=1/2 |
| (4M-38)/8 | j=5/2, k=1/2 |
| (4M-16)/8 | j=1, k=1 |
| (4M-23)/8 | j=3/2, k=1 |
| (4M-32)/8 | j=2, k=1 |
| (4M-30)/8 | j=3/2, k=3/2 |
Mnemonic:
In the preceding table, starting with N for j=1/2, k=1/2,
for each 1/2 you add to j or k, you can obtain the next value of N by subtracting
successive odd integers divided by 8 (that is, 5/8, 7/8, 9/8, 11/8, 13/8, etc.):
Raising j or k from 1/2 to 1 drops N by 5/8,
Raising j or k from 1 to 3/2 drops N by 7/8,
Raising j or k from 3/2 to 2 drops N by 9/8,
Raising j or k from 2 to 5/2 drops N by 11/8, etc.
| j, k, l | M = l(l+1) | N = J • K |
|---|---|---|
| j=1/2, k=1/2, l=0 | 0 | -6/8 = -3/4 |
| j=1/2, k=1/2, l=1 | 2 | 2/8 = 1/4 |
| j=1, k=1/2, l=1/2 | 3/4 | -8/8 = -4/4 = -1 |
| j=1, k=1/2, l=3/2 | 15/4 | 4/8 = 2/4 = 1/2 |
| j=3/2, k=1/2, l=1 | 2 | -10/8 = -5/4 |
| j=3/2, k=1/2, l=2 | 6 | 6/8 = 3/4 |
| j=2, k=1/2, l=3/2 | 15/4 | -12/8 = -6/4 = -3/2 |
| j=2, k=1/2, l=5/2 | 35/4 | 8/8 = 4/4 = 1 |
| j=5/2, k=1/2, l=2 | 6 | -14/8 = -7/4 |
| j=5/2, k=1/2, l=3 | 12 | 10/8 = 5/4 |
| j, k, l | M = l(l+1) | N = J • K |
|---|---|---|
| j=1, k=1, l=0 | 0 | -16/8 = -8/4 = -2 |
| j=1, k=1, l=1 | 2 | -8/8 = -4/4 = -1 |
| j=1, k=1, l=2 | 6 | 8/8 = 4/4 = 1 |
| j=3/2, k=1, l=1/2 | 3/4 | -20/8 = -10/4 = -5/2 |
| j=3/2, k=1, l=3/2 | 15/4 | -8/8 = -4/4 = -1 |
| j=3/2, k=1, l=5/2 | 35/4 | 12/8 = 6/4 = 3/2 |
| j=2, k=1, l=1 | 2 | -24/8 = -12/4 = -3 |
| j=2, k=1, l=2 | 6 | -8/8 = -4/4 = -1 |
| j=2, k=1, l=3 | 12 | 16/8 = 8/4 = 2 |
| j=3/2, k=3/2, l=0 | 0 | -30/8 = -15/4 |
| j=3/2, k=3/2, l=1 | 2 | -22/8 = -11/4 |
| j=3/2, k=3/2, l=2 | 6 | -6/8 = -3/4 |
| j=3/2, k=3/2, l=3 | 12 | 18/8 = 9/4 |
| Operator | Value |
|---|---|
| Q0 | -(4N-1)/4 for j=1/2, k=1/2 |
| Q1 | (4N+3)/4 for j=1/2, k=1/2 |
| Q1/2 | -(4N-2)/6 for j=1, k=1/2 |
| Q3/2 | (4N+4)/6 for j=1, k=1/2 |
| Q1 | -(4N-3)/8 for j=3/2, k=1/2 |
| Q2 | (4N+5)/8 for j=3/2, k=1/2 |
| Q3/2 | -(4N-4)/10 for j=2, k=1/2 |
| Q5/2 | (4N+6)/10 for j=2, k=1/2 |
| Q2 | -(4N-5)/12 for j=5/2, k=1/2 |
| Q3 | (4N+7)/12 for j=5/2, k=1/2 |
| Operator | Value |
|---|---|
| Q0 | (N+1)(N-1)/3 for j=1, k=1 |
| Q1 | -(N+2)(N-1)/2 for j=1, k=1 |
| Q2 | (N+2)(N+1)/6 for j=1, k=1 |
| Q1/2 | (2N+2)(2N-3)/24 for j=3/2, k=1 |
| Q3/2 | -(2N+5)(2N-3)/15 for j=3/2, k=1 |
| Q5/2 | (2N+5)(2N+2)/40 for j=3/2, k=1 |
| Q1 | (N+1)(N-2)/10 for j=2, k=1 |
| Q2 | -(N+3)(N-2)/6 for j=2, k=1 |
| Q3 | (N+3)(N+1)/15 for j=2, k=1 |
| Q0 | -(4N+11)(4N+3)(4N-9)/1152 for j=3/2, k=3/2 |
| Q1 | (4N+15)(4N+3)(4N-9)/640 for j=3/2, k=3/2 |
| Q2 | -(4N+15)(4N+11)(4N-9)/1152 for j=3/2, k=3/2 |
| Q3 | (4N+15)(4N+11)(4N+3)/5760 for j=3/2, k=3/2 |
See Also
Explicit Matrices for some of the above operators are given in
Adding Angular Momenta 2 and Adding Angular Momenta 3.
Adding Angular Momenta 2 and Adding Angular Momenta 3.





