Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-quantum-theory-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2023/3/c/ii/solution

Diagonalizing the matrix gives the normalized eigenvectors
with eigenvalues , respectively. The first projective measurement prepares up to global phase, regardless of the earlier state, conditional on obtaining .
The unitary time evolution under gives, with ,
The probability amplitudes for the second projective measurement are
The Born rule therefore gives the general spin-one transverse measurement after axial precession:
At the specified times , , so
For even , the result is certainly ; for odd , it is certainly . Although zero belongs to the spectrum of the observable, it never occurs at these times. Indeed, for even the evolved vector is , while for odd it is , where the minus sign is a global phase.

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