Put and . The Pauli matrix multiplication law gives the pulse-and-precession spin one-half map
Because , a suitable angle and unit vector for the rotation are
If the denominator vanishes, and the axis is arbitrary. The Bloch vector rotates through about per period; after periods the angle is . The eigenphases equivalently give quasienergies modulo .
In the two-orbital subspace the position operator is . The Heisenberg equation of motion between pulses gives , hence
Thus two components of the Bloch vector directly describe the mean position and momentum; its third gives the orbital population imbalance. The electric kick rotates about the position axis, leaving unchanged at the kick, while free evolution mixes the position and momentum components. Starting in , one complete period gives
which exhibits the induced motion explicitly. These are projected two-orbital observables.
Multiplying the two matrix exponentials with the Pauli matrix multiplication law gives
One has . If , put and . The exponential of a Pauli vector gives . Its action on a Bloch vector is a rotation through about , and its quasienergies are modulo . When , its axis is arbitrary and the Bloch vector is unchanged.
Quasienergy 2026-10-18
A quasienergy is defined by an eigenvalue of the Floquet operator. It is determined modulo , because adding an integer multiple of that quantity leaves the complex exponential unchanged. A time-independent effective Hamiltonian can be defined by a branch of the matrix logarithm; its eigenvalues are the corresponding chosen quasienergies.