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How to find the normalization factor of the eigenvectors of the $sigma_x$ Pauli gate?

Quantum Computing Asked by Markian Hromiak on May 9, 2021

I’m trying to calcaute the eigenstates for the $sigma_x$ gate, and I can follow the process up to finding eigenvalues $pm 1$, but I don’t understand where the $frac{1}{sqrt{2}}$ coefficient comes from for the answer:

$$begin{bmatrix}
-lambda & 1
1 & -lambda
end{bmatrix}v = 0 implies v = frac{1}{sqrt{2}} begin{bmatrix} 1 1 end{bmatrix}
$$

For the solution $lambda = 1$, why does that $frac{1}{sqrt{2}}$ show up?

2 Answers

The $dfrac{1}{sqrt{2}}$ is the normalization constant to make sure the state/eigenvector is a unit vector.

Note that: if $|psi rangle = dfrac{1}{sqrt{2}}begin{pmatrix} 1 1 end{pmatrix} $ then $bigg| bigg| |psi rangle bigg| bigg| = |1/sqrt{2}|^2 + |1/sqrt{2}|^2 = 1 $.

The reason for this is because in quantum mechanics, states are always normalized. It is one of the postulates of quantum mechanics.

Answered by KAJ226 on May 9, 2021

It is normalized by dividing with the modulus or magnitude which is sqrt of (eigenvalue1 * 2 + eigenvalue2 * 2) = sqrt(2)

Answered by Krishna Aditya on May 9, 2021

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