Synopsis

In this talk the quantum mechanics of a single spin 1/2 particle are discussed. The density operator formalism, which is a method to treat an ensemble of spins is then introduced. The effects of free precession and RF pulses are then demonstrated, and it is shown how the density operator relates to the classical Bloch vector model. A brief overview of how to deal with spin > 1/2 particles or coupled spins which are necessary to describe spectroscopy experiments is discussed.