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5. We will begin by simply directly computing the form of ξ± from the eigenvalue equation
(p̂ · ½~σ ) ξ± (p̂) = ±½ξ± (p̂).
Let us begin to expand the left hand side of the eigenvalue equation,
µ ¶ µ ¶ µ ¶
1 0 sin θ cos φ 1 0 −i sin θ sin φ 1 cos θ 0
(p̂ · ½~σ ) = + + ,
2 sin θ cos φ 0 2 i sin θ sin φ 0 2 0 − cos θ
µ ¶
1 cos θ sin θe−iφ
∴ (p̂ · ½~σ ) = .
2 sin θeiφ − cos θ
Note that we can see here that because this matrix has determinant −1 and trace 0, the eigen-
values must be are ±1. Therefore, we may write the eigenvalue equation as the system of
equations, µ ¶µ 1 ¶ µ 1 ¶
1 cos θ sin θe−iφ ξ± 1 ξ±
2 =± 2 .
2 sin θeiφ − cos θ ξ± 2 ξ±
These two equations are equivalent; I will use the first row of equations. This becomes
1 1
±ξ± = cos θξ± + sin θe−iφ ξ±
2
.
Therefore,
1 sin θe−iφ ξ+
2
sin θe−iφ ξ−
2
ξ+ = = e−iφ tan(θ/2)ξ+
2
and 1
ξ− =− = −e−iφ tan(θ/2)ξ−
2
1 − cos θ 1 + cos θ
So that
µ −iφ 2
¶ µ ¶
e cot(θ/2)ξ+ −e−iφ tan(θ/2)ξ−
2
ξ+ = 2 and ξ− = 2 .
ξ+ ξ−
†
To find the normalization, we must apply the normalization conditions ξ± ξ± = 1. By direct
calculation,
† 2 2
ξ+ ξ+ = 1 = (ξ+ ) (cot2 (θ/2) + 1),
2 2
(ξ+ )
= 2 ,
sin (θ/2)
+
2
∴ ξ+ = eiη sin(θ/2).
4 JACOB LEWIS BOURJAILY
Likewise for ξ− ,
† 2 2
ξ− ξ− = 1 = (ξ− ) (tan2 (θ/2) + 1),
2 2
(ξ− )
= ,
cos2 (θ/2)
−
2
∴ ξ− = eiη cos(θ/2).
Notice that if ξ+ satisfies ξ † ξ = 1 then so does ξ 0 = eiη ξ. So in solving the normalization
equations, we necessarily introduced an arbitrary phase η. Noting, this, spinors become
µ −iφ ¶ µ ¶
+ e cos(θ/2) − −e−iφ sin(θ/2)
ξ+ = eiη and ξ− = eiη .
sin(θ/2) cos(θ/2)
Lastly, we would like to set the phase η so that when the particle is moving in the +z−direction,
they reduce to the usual spin-up/spin-down forms. It should be quite obvious that η − = 0
satisfies this condition for ξ− . For ξ + , we will set the phase to η + = φ so that we may lose the
e−iφ term when θ = 0. So we may write our final spinors as
µ ¶ µ ¶
cos(θ/2) −e−iφ sin(θ/2)
ξ+ = and ξ− = .
eiφ sin(θ/2) cos(θ/2)
‘ ’
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