Tree-level electroweak gauge-boson masses ($m_W=gv/2,m_Z=v\sqrt{g^2+g^{\prime 2}}/2,m_A=0$)

For the Higgs doublet vacuum $(0,v{)}^T/\sqrt{2}$, the neutral gauge-boson mass matrix in $(W^3,B)$ is $(v^2/4)\left(\begin{array}{cc}{g}^2& -g{g}^{\prime }\\ -g{g}^{\prime }& g^{\prime 2}\end{array}\right)$. Its zero eigenvector is proportional to $(g^{\prime },g)$, the photon; the perpendicular vector is the Z boson. The charged fields $W^{\pm }=(W^1\mp i{W}^2)/\sqrt{2}$ have the stated W boson mass. Thus $m_W=m_Z\cos {\theta }_W$, where ${\theta }_W$ is the Weinberg angle. The unbroken charge generator annihilates the vacuum and explains the zero eigenvalue.