How Magnetic Fields Can Alter Light: The Zeeman Effect

How do magnetic fields alter the absorption and emission spectra of light? In the presence of a magnetic field, the energy levels of the emitted photons can shift. In an atomic energy state, an electron orbits around the nucleus of the atom and has a magnetic dipole moment associated with its angular momentum. In a magnetic field, it acquires an additional energy just as a bar magnet does and consequently the original energy level is shifted. The energy shift may be positive, zero, or even negative, depending on the angle between the electron magnetic dipole moment and the field.

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