Zitterbewegung and the Magnetic Moment of the Electron

TL;DR

This paper explores the quantum origin of electron zitterbewegung and derives the electron's g-factor, including the Schwinger correction, using quantum field theory and perturbation methods.

Contribution

It provides an analytical derivation of the electron g-factor up to the Schwinger correction from first principles.

Findings

Derived the electron g-factor analytically including the Schwinger correction.

Clarified the distinction between zitterbewegung and spin-related oscillations.

Linked zitterbewegung to quantum field theoretical velocity operators.

Abstract

Zitterbewegung of a Dirac electron is an oscillation between positive and negative energy states, and is thus distinct from the analogous phenomena exhibited by spin half charged particles in electric and magnetic fields. Quantum field theory offers an insight into the velocity operator and provides an interpretation of zitterbewegung. Applying stationary perturbation theory to these results the electron $g$ factor is obtained analytically up to the Schwinger correction ($g = 2 + \alpha/\pi $).