Atoms and Nuclei

PA 322
Lecture 9

Unit 2:
Zeeman Effect (revisited)
Paschen-Back Effect

(Reminder: http://www.star.le.ac.uk/~nrt3/322)
Topics
• Atom in magnetic field
– Zeeman Effect: weak field
• “normal” and “anomalous”
• magnitude of effect
– other cases
• intermediate field: Paschen-Back Effect
• very strong field

PA322 Lecture 9 2
Zeeman Effect
• Atom interacts with external magnetic field as there are intrinsic
(internal) magnetic moments associated with:
– electron orbit and electron spin
• Produces energy splitting of levels that are otherwise degenerate: mJ
states
– and thus splitting of spectral lines to/from relevant levels
– in typical laboratory magnetic fields the size of the energy splitting due
to the external field is small compared with all internal energy splitings
e.g. Emag<< Eso << Espin-spin

– equivalently the effective internal magnetic field relating to electron
magnetic moment interaction >> external field values
– amplitude of splitting ∝ |B|

PA322 Lecture 9 3
Zeeman Effect

• Normal Zeeman effect: splitting of

singlet states (S=0) – can be
understood classically
• Anomalous Zeeman effect:
splitting of S≠ 0 states, specifically
where spin-orbit coupling is
occurring
– normal Zeeman effect is thus just
a special case, in fact.
– However, when Normal Zeeman
• Normal: number of Zeeman split lines = 3
effect applies, the line patterns - independent of number of transitions
are much simpler.
• Anomalous: number of Zeeman split lines ≤ number
of transitions

PA322 Lecture 9 4
Interaction Energy for
Oxygen 2s2 2p4 (3P)
Zeeman Effect
mJ
3P
1 +1
0
• Interaction with B field splits levels according -1

to mJ (specifying orientations of J)

Energy
+2

• Need to calculate is the interaction energy

3P
2 +1
0

between the effective magnetic moment of -1

-2
the atom µ and the external field B

0 1 2

• Interaction energy Emag is given by B (Tesla)

E mag = −µ⋅ B
where µ = µ J || is the component of µ which is antiparallel to J
(surprisingly µ not in same direction as -J)

€ • The only tricky bit is calculating µ J

||
€
PA322 Lecture 9
Interaction Energy for Zeeman Effect
• Assume L-S coupling in multi-electron
atom J

S

– J = L + S ( L & S precess about J ) L

µL

• Orbital magnetic moment: µ L= −gl ( )L e

2m e µJ||
µJ
µS

• Spin magnetic moment: µ = −g ( ) S

S
e
s 2m e B

where gl and gs are the orbital and spin g-

factors gl =1; €
gs = 2

€
• Total magnetic moment µ J = − ( )[g L + g S] = −( )[L + 2S]
e
2m e l s
e
2m e

confirming that µˆ J & Jˆ are not anti-parallel: µJ precesses about J

PA322 Lecture 9 6
€
€
Interaction Energy for Zeeman Effect
µL

• Computing µ J ||
µJ||

µS
µJ || = µL cos α1 + µS cos α 2
€ J
where angles defined in triangles α2
S α1
2 2 2 2 2 2
L +J −S J +S −L µL L
cos α1 = cos α 2 =
2J L 2J S
µS
(Cosine rule) µJ||
µJ

PA322 Lecture 9 7
Interaction Energy for Zeeman Effect
So substituting
J
e α2
µL = − ( )L
e
2m e µ S = −2 ( )S
e
2m e µB =
2me
(Bohr Magneton) S α1

µL L
we get
µB ⎧⎪ ⎡ L + J − S ⎤ ⎡ J 2 + S 2 − L 2 ⎤ ⎫⎪
2 2 2

µ J || = − ⎨ L ⎢ ⎥ + 2 S ⎢ ⎥ ⎬ µS
 ⎪⎩ ⎣ 2J L ⎦ ⎣ 2 J S ⎦ ⎪⎭ µJ||
µJ
µB ⎡ 3 J 2 + S 2 − L 2 ⎤ µB ⎡ J + S − L ⎤
2 2 2

µJ = − ⎢ ⎥ = − J ⎢1+ 2 ⎥
||
 ⎣ 2 J ⎦  ⎣ 2 J ⎦
µB ⎡ J(J +1) + S(S +1) − L(L +1) ⎤ µB
µJ = − J ⎢1+ ⎥ = −g J
||
 ⎣ 2J(J +1) ⎦ 

€ Expression in brackets is the Landé g-factor

J(J +1) + S(S +1) − L(L +1)
g = 1+
see Softley: p73 2J(J +1)
2
since J = J(J +1) 2 etc.
PA322 Lecture 9 8

€
Interaction Energy for Zeeman Effect

• Finally E mag = −µ J ⋅ B
||

substitute value of µ J ||
gµB
E mag = J⋅ B

µJ −J
(since µˆ J = || = - Jˆ = )
||
µJ J
||

gµB
E mag = JB
 z

but Jz = mJ  (projection of J)

⇒ E mag = gµB BmJ

PA322 Lecture 9 9

€
Interaction Energy for Zeeman Effect
• Limiting cases:

– S=0, L ≠ 0 ⇒ J =L ⇒ g =1 (cf. gl)

J(J +1) + S(S +1) − L(L +1)
g = 1+
2J(J +1)
– S ≠ 0, L = 0 ⇒ J =S ⇒ g =2 (cf. gs)

€
• Normal Zeeman means S=0 and thus g = const = 1

– energy difference (ie line splitting) ΔEmag = µB ΔmJ is same for all L [not true
for anomalous as g = g (L, S, J)]

– simplifies spectrum as different transitions between levels have same energy
splitting
– 3 distinct components only: corresponding to allowed ΔmJ=0, ±1

PA322 Lecture 9 10
Sodium D lines in a weak (0.1 T) magnetic field
energy shift from
B=0 case
State L
S
J
g
mJ
gmJ

3 2S1/2
0 1/2 1/2 2 ±1/2 ±1
ΔE ∝ ΔgmJ

3 2P
1 1/2 1/2 2/3 ±1/2 ±1/3
1/2
|Δλ/λ|∝ ΔE/E

3 2P3/2
1 1/2 3/2 4/3 ± 1/2; ± 3/2 ± 2/3; ± 2

Selection rules: ΔL=±1; ΔmJ=0, ±1; ΔJ=0, ±1 (not 0↔0)

mJ
gmJ

3/2 2
1/2 2/3
3 2P
3/2

-2/3
mJ -1/2
1/2 gmJ -2
-3/2
1/3
3 2P1/2
-1/2 -1/3

1/2 1
3 2S1/2
ΔE

-1
-1/2
B=0
B>0

PA322 Lecture 9 11
2S 2P
ΔgmJ

1/2
1/2

(g=2) (g=2/3) =gmJ1-gmJ2

ΔE ∝ ΔgmJ

|Δλ/λ|∝ ΔE/E

mJ
gmJ
mJ
gmJ

½ ⅓ 4/3
½ 1
-½ -⅓ 2/3
½ ⅓ -2/3
-½ -1 4 distinct
-½ -⅓ -4/3
components
2S 2P
ΔgmJ

1/2
3/2
=gmJ1-gmJ2
(g=2) (g=4/3)

mJ
gmJ
mJ
gmJ

3/2 2 -1
1/2 1 1/2 2/3 1/3
-1/2 -2/3 5/3
6 distinct
1/2 2/3 -5/3 components
-1/2 -1 -1/2 -2/3 -1/3
-3/2 -2 1
PA322 Lecture 9 12
e x ample
e r
Anoth

S=1 L=0 J=1 ⇒ g = 2

S=1 L=1 J=2 ⇒ g = 3/2

PA322 Lecture 9 13
Paschen-Back Effect Emag ~ Eso

• Zeeman effect assumes Emag << Eso

• If Emag ~ Eso ⇒ Paschen-Back Effect

– spin-orbit coupling broken

– L & S precess independently about B

E mag = −µL ⋅ B − µS ⋅ B = (mL + 2mS )µB B
– mL and mS are now good quantum numbers again
– selection rules for transitions: ΔmS = 0; ΔmL = 0, ±1
€
• produces lines very similar normal to Zeeman effect

PA322 Lecture 9 14
Paschen-Back Effect Emag ~ Eso
mL ms
1 ½
3P ½
0 -½
-1 ½
-½
-½

[ml=+1, ms=-½ ] &

[ml=-1, ms=+½ ]
3S ½ levels very close in
0 energy
-½

ΔmS = 0; ΔmL = 0, ±1 excellent approximation

State L S mL mS mL+2mS Δ(mL+2mS) ∝ΔE

3 2S1/2 0 1/2 0 -1/2, +1/2 ±1
3 2P1/2 1 1/2 -1,0,1 -1/2, +1/2 -2,-1,0,1,2 -1,0,1
3 2P3/2 1 1/2 -1,0,1 -1/2, +1/2 -2,-1,0,1,2

PA322 Lecture 9 15
Zeeman Paschen-Back

PA322 Lecture 9 16
Paschen-Back Effect

• Estimate of B for Paschen-Back effect to be important

ΔE mag,Zeeman = Δ(gmJ ) µB B
ΔE so ≈ 2 meV (e.g. for Sodium resonance lines)
ΔE mag,Zeeman ≈ ΔE so

as Δ(gmJ ) max ≈ 3 and µB = 5.8 × 10 −5 eV T -1

⇒ B ≈ 10 T

€ PA322 Lecture 9 17
Extreme B fields Emag >> Eso

• For large enough B spin-spin and orbit-orbit coupling of electrons

broken, leading to effective j-j coupling

Emag = (mL + 2mS ) µ B B

• Selection rules now Δl = ±1; ΔmJ = 0; Δml = 0, ±1

PA322 Lecture 9 18
Extreme B fields Emag >> Eso

ml ms
ml +2ms

1 ½ 2
0 ½ 1
3P
0
-1 ½
1 -½ 0
0 -½ -1
-1 -½ -2

3S
1

-1

Six transitions give three lines due to degeneracy as splitting ∝(ml +2ms)

PA322 Lecture 9 19
Summary

• Summary of effects for typical lines (e.g. Na D lines):

ΔESO

B=0
doublet

B weak anomalous Zeeman

B strong Paschen-Back
∼µBB ∼µBB

PA322 Lecture 9 20
Reading

• Previous lecture notes (intro to Zeeman effect)

• Softley Chapter 5, sections 5.4 & 5.5 (skip Stark effect)

PA322 Lecture 9 21