Quantum field theory treatment of magnetic effects on a system of free electrons

Abstract

The effects of a magnetic field on the energy and on the spin of free electrons are computed in the framework of quantum field theory. In the case of a constant moderate field and with relatively slow electrons, the derived formulae are particularly simple. A comparison with the approaches of classical physics and of quantum mechanics shows essential differences and important analogies. The relevance to the magnetic effects of the initial polarization components of the electron states and the possible existence of special values of these quantities are discussed in the final conclusions, which might be useful to explain recent experiments on quasi-free electrons in chiral systems in biology.