Hidden Kinematics and Dual Quantum References in Magnetic Resonance
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Abstract
Spin resonance phenomena are conventionally described using transition probabilities formulated in a rotating frame, whose physical meaning implicitly depends on the choice of quantum reference standard. In this Colloquium, we show that a spin in a rotating magnetic field constitutes a configuration involving two quantum descriptions that share a common quantization operator but differ in their kinematic and dynamical roles. The transition probability therefore emerges as a relational quantity between quantum reference standards rather than an intrinsic property of a single evolving spin state. By incorporating the kinematic motion of the spin vector together with the dynamical evolution, this framework restores consistent energy accounting and reveals the dual-reference structure underlying spin dynamics in rotating magnetic fields.