Changing Electron Spin States

[Jeffrey J Cheng 2L]

We mentioned that electrons in half-filled subshells must have parallel spin states. If one electron had an opposite spin state, then we would consider the atom excited. But how would you go about changing the spin state of an electron? Could you induce a change in spin state with electromagnetic radiation?

[Katelyn Alvarado 3K]

I would assume that yes, when an electron is hit with photons of electromagnetic radiation, one of the results can be that it changes spin state as it becomes excited. However, I am not too sure if this is accurate.

[Sanskriti Balaji 1J]

Hi! Yes, you can induce a change in the spin state of electrons with electromagnetic radiation that matches the energy radiation of the spin state. If you're interested in learning more about it, I would recommend reading the article below!

Article: https://phys.org/news/2015-01-electron- ... n%20states.