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Updated: Mar 6, 2026

Experimental Methods for Spin- and Angle-Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy Combined with Polarization-Variable Laser
Published on: June 28, 2018
Phase-space methods for the spin dynamics in condensed matter systems
Jérôme Hurst1, Paul-Antoine Hervieux2, Giovanni Manfredi1
1Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Institut de Physique et Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg, 67000 Strasbourg, France.
Abstract:
Using the phase-space formulation of quantum mechanics, we derive a four-component Wigner equation for a system composed of spin-[Formula: see text] fermions (typically, electrons) including the Zeeman effect and the spin-orbit coupling. This Wigner equation is coupled to the appropriate Maxwell equations to form a self-consistent mean-field model. A set of semiclassical Vlasov equations with spin effects is obtained by expanding the full quantum model to first order in the Planck constant. The corresponding hydrodynamic equations are derived by taking velocity moments of the phase-space distribution function. A simple closure relation is proposed to obtain a closed set of hydrodynamic equations.This article is part of the themed issue 'Theoretical and computational studies of non-equilibrium and non-statistical dynamics in the gas phase, in the condensed phase and at interfaces'.
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