Electron wave spin in a quantum well

Abstract

The particle-wave duality of the electron poses a principle question of whether the spin is a property of the particle or the wave. In this paper, the wave nature of the spin is studied for an electron inside a two-dimensional quantum well. By solving the exact 4 − spinor eigen solution to the Dirac equation, we show that a stable circulating total current density exists inside the well with a donut shaped topography. A spin value is modified by the confining geometry of the well. Our analysis also shows that a free electron Gaussian wavepacket is unstable and experiences quick decoherence.