Within a specified electron configuration in the LS coupling regime, Hund's rules select the lowest atomic term as follows. First maximize the total electron spin subject to the Pauli exclusion principle. Among the terms having that , choose the largest total orbital angular momentum . Finally, spin-orbit coupling places the smallest allowed lowest for a subshell less than half full, and the largest lowest for a subshell more than half full. At half filling the maximum-spin term has , hence . These rules rank terms within configurations; the exceptional neutral-atom configurations of chromium and copper must also be used.
For chromium the configuration is . The half-filled subshell has and ; aligning the spin gives , while . Therefore the ground-state term symbol is . For cobalt, has a closed pair. The subshell has the same possible values as three holes; maximizing spin and then orbital angular momentum gives , . Because it is more than half full, , giving . For copper, has a closed subshell, leaving , and . These are neutral-atom terms, rather than the terms of the common metal ions. The tabulated zero-energy levels independently confirm all three assignments.[ref][ref][ref]
Peter Grünberg Created 2026-10-24 Updated 2026-11-05
Peter Grünberg coauthored experiments revealing a large dependence of electrical resistance on the relative orientation of magnetic layers. In iron-chromium-iron structures, an antiparallel arrangement of the iron-layer magnetization gave higher electrical resistance than a parallel arrangement. The effect grew in structures containing more magnetic layers and substantially exceeded ordinary anisotropic magnetoresistance. This connects magnetic configuration with electrical readout and helped establish giant magnetoresistance as a basis for magnetic sensing.[ref]
Figure 1.
Portrait of Peter Grünberg
. Kuebi = Armin Kübelbeck, 25 February 2008. CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Source.
The 1975 experiment mixed powdered sodium chloride and 0.5%-chromium ruby in a 4:1 volume ratio. An Inconel gasket, initially thick with a hole, held the powder and 4:1 methanol–ethanol. At , X-ray diffraction rings on film away gave salt compression; a reference equation of state assigned pressure. After decreasing load, they waited at least five hours and bracketed diffraction exposures with readings to check drift.[ref]
The recommended linear slope was , with a fit confidence interval of , to . Reference-scale systematic measurement uncertainty remained separate. Above about the medium was only quasihydrostatic; separate range fits checked consistency.[ref]
The logical chain is compression to reference pressure, paired with optical shift, then a fitted response. X-ray diffraction supplies the reference comparison during calibration; subsequent ruby readings transfer that scale to other samples. The reference equation of state is therefore part of the meaning of the reported pressure. Changing it can move all calibrated readings together, even if the optical measurements repeat perfectly. A regression residual tests agreement with the chosen reference within the sampled conditions; it cannot independently certify that reference.
Ruby laser Created 2026-10-18 Updated 2026-10-20
A ruby laser uses chromium ions in ruby as its amplifying medium. Maiman's report identifies a metastable state fed by optical excitation and red emission near .[ref] The pump stores excitation in the medium; stimulated emission transfers it into the optical field. The simplified three-level laser rate equation explains why the stored population and the output pulse evolve together.
Ruby R-line shift 2026-10-18
The ruby R-line shift compares the same emission feature under two conditions. It is distinct from the Stokes shift, which compares absorption and emission features. In ruby, chromium ions in the corundum crystal provide the electronic transitions; compression changes their local environment and transition energies.[ref]
For consistently defined vacuum wavelengths, the reciprocal relation gives
Thus a positive wavelength shift means a negative reciprocal shift, and gives lower photon energy; is the Planck constant and the speed of light. For spectroscopic wavenumber, use vacuum wavelength and keep that convention consistent. A calibration specified in air wavelength must retain its convention or be converted consistently. The reciprocal relation is nonlinear: a line exactly linear in is not exactly linear in .
For a purely mathematical check with chosen vacuum wavelengths and , the reciprocal shift is . The small-shift approximation gives , about too large in magnitude. These chosen values illustrate the conversion; they are not measured ruby lines or an additional pressure calibration.
Shuanglin Qu Created 2026-10-20 Updated 2026-11-05
Chromium is the chemical element with atomic number 24 and symbol . It is a transition metal. A chromium-rich passive oxide layer helps stainless steel resist corrosion. Chromium(III) and chromium(VI) compounds have substantially different bonding, reactivity, and environmental behavior, so an oxidation state is essential when discussing a chromium compound.
Spin multiplicity 2026-10-20
A state with total spin angular momentum quantum number has magnetic projections. A singlet state has , a triplet state has , and the chromium ground term is a septet.
Theodore Maiman Created 2026-10-24 Updated 2026-11-05
Theodore Maiman demonstrated stimulated optical emission from ruby in 1960. Optical pumping transferred energy into the chromium ions in the crystal, producing the conditions for stimulated emission near 694 nm. This showed that a fluorescent solid could act as an optical amplifier and oscillator, carrying the principle of the maser into the visible spectrum. The result tied the material's energy levels to a practical laser source.[ref]
Figure 1.
Portrait of Theodore Maiman
. Unknown (Associated Press). Public domain in the United States (publication without copyright notice, as stated on Commons). Source usage terms, via Wikimedia Commons. Source.
Consider two identical magnetic layers separated by a nonmagnetic layer, between reservoirs that impose the same terminal electric potential difference on both spin channels. Neglect spin-flip scattering and assume each layer obeys Ohm's law. In a magnetic layer, define positive channel electrical resistances . Let the spacer contribute to each channel. These are circuit parameters, not measured iron or chromium resistivities.
For parallel layer magnetizations, one channel meets and the other . For opposite layer magnetizations, each meets one , one , and the spacer. The two channels share the same terminal electric potential difference and run in parallel. Writing gives
The inequality is algebra, given the specified network. It shows how a difference between spin-channel responses can yield a difference between magnetic configurations even though all the constituent resistors are ohmic.
For chosen , , , the parallel channels have total electrical resistances and , while the opposite-alignment channels each have . Thus and . At a common terminal electric potential difference , the total electric currents are and , respectively.
Xing-Qi Yao Created 2026-10-20 Updated 2026-11-05
Chromium is the chemical element with atomic number 24 and symbol . It is a transition metal. A chromium-rich passive oxide layer helps stainless steel resist corrosion. Chromium(III) and chromium(VI) compounds have substantially different bonding, reactivity, and environmental behavior, so an oxidation state is essential when discussing a chromium compound.