On the Magnetic Structure of Density Matrices

Abstract

The spin structure of wave functions is reflected in the magnetic structure of the one-particle density matrix. Indeed, for single determinants we can use either one to determine the other. In this work we discuss how one can simply examine the one-particle density matrix to faithfully determine whether the spin magnetization density vector field is collinear, coplanar, or noncoplanar. For single determinants, this test suffices to distinguish collinear determinants which are eigenfunctions of $\hat{S}_{\hat{n}}$ from noncollinear determinants which are not. We also point out the close relationship between noncoplanar magnetism on the one hand and complex conjugation symmetry breaking on the other. Finally, we use these ideas to classify the various ways single determinant wave functions break and respect symmetries of the Hamiltonian in terms of their one-particle density matrix.