Spin polarization

In particle physics, spin polarization is the degree to which the spin, i.e., the intrinsic angular momentum of elementary particles, is aligned with a given direction. This property may pertain to the spin, hence to the magnetic moment, of conduction electrons in ferromagnetic metals, such as iron, giving rise to spin-polarized currents. It may refer to (static) spin waves, preferential correlation of spin orientation with ordered lattices (semiconductors or insulators).

It may also pertain to beams of particles.

The circular polarization of electromagnetic fields is due to spin polarization of their constituent photons.

In the most generic context, spin polarization is any alignment of the components of a non-scalar (vectorial, tensorial, spinorial) field with its arguments, i.e., with the nonrelativistic three spatial or relativistic four spatiotemporal regions over which it is defined. In this sense, it also includes gravitational waves and any field theory that couples its constituents with the differential operators of vector analysis.