Past exam of the atomic and laser physics course of the University of Oxford / 2021 / 1 / a

The printed magnetic dipole moment uses dimensionless angular momentum operators: their physical counterparts are $\hslash \mathbf{L}$ and $\hslash \mathbf{S}$. Choose the magnetic field along $z$. Then the Zeeman energy is $H_Z={\mu }_{B}B(L_z+g_s{S}_z)$, whose characteristic size is ${\mu }_{B}B$. In LS coupling, treating this as a time-independent perturbation theory requires it to be much smaller than the relevant fine structure separation, rather than merely smaller than the Coulomb interaction energy.

For a concrete hydrogen atom estimate take the $2p_{1/2},2p_{3/2}$ pair. The hydrogen fine-structure correction iswhere ${\alpha }_{\mathrm{fs}}$ is the fine-structure constant, distinguished from the later potential coefficient. ThusConsequently a suitable weak-magnetic field condition for this pair isThere is no single threshold for every hydrogen energy level: the relevant fine structure separations decrease with $n$. The $1s$ energy level has no same-$n$ spin-orbit interaction partner, so it cannot itself define this comparison. This calculation neglects hyperfine structure; resolving that smaller scale requires an additional weak-magnetic field condition.