Pauli matrix en · NOUN
Etymology
Named after Wolfgang Ernst Pauli (1900–1958), Austrian theoretical physicist.
Meanings
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Any one of three complex matrices that arise in Wolfgang Pauli's treatment of spin in quantum mechanics.
The eigenspinors are eigenvectors of the Pauli matrices in the case of a single spin 1/2 particle. —Wikipedia
The first Pauli matrix is like a reflection about the "y=x" line. The third Pauli matrix is like a reflection about the "x axis". The second Pauli matrix is like a 90° counterclockwise rotation and scalar multiplication by the imaginary unit (which rotates the two complex components by 90° counterclockwise in their own "phasor spaces", as it were).
The Pauli matrices satisfy the equation #92;sigma#95;1²#61;#92;sigma#95;2²#61;#92;sigma#95;3²#61;-i#92;sigma#95;1#92;sigma#95;2#92;sigma#95;3#61;I which is reminiscent of Hamilton's fundamental formula for quaternion multiplication.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pauli matrixes | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| Pauli matrices | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Holonyms
Hypernyms
unitary matrix · Hermitian matrix
Translations (4)
de Pauli-Matrix (complex matrix) · pl macierz Pauliego (complex matrix) · ru ма́трица Па́ули (complex matrix) · sv Paulimatris (complex matrix)