Material Detail

The Expectation value of an operator simulation aims to help students make connections between experimental measurement outcomes and expectation values. The simulation allows students to use a Stern-Gerlach apparatus to take measurements on a stream of identical input particles to experimentally determine the expectation value of the z-component of spin. Students can choose between two different input spin states, one of which is an unknown state that needs to be determined by taking data. The simulation shows the individual spin measurement outcomes, the experimental and theoretical measurement outcome probabilities and the expectation value mathematically and graphically. An accompanying activity for this simulation is available at http://quantumphysics.iop.org and at www.st-andrews.ac.uk/physics/quvis. The simulation can be downloaded from the QuVis website www.st-andrews.ac.uk/physics/quvis.

This simulation is part of the UK Institute of Physics New Quantum Curriculum, see http://quantumphysics.iop.org. Simulations and accompanying activities can be accessed from the IOP site and from www.st-andrews.ac.uk/physics/quvis. Sharing of these resources is encouraged, with all usage under the Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND licence. Instructors can email quantumphysics@iop.org for activity solutions and to request to modify materials.

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