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San K
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If we send one photon, at a time, through a single slit do we observe the interference pattern? Specially at the edges
Ken G said:Sure, anything you can do that will alter the phase of the wave will change how it interferes. That's essentially what interference is-- addition of amplitudes (affected by phase) that have had different histories so come out differently. Classically, we thought a "history" is something that a particle had, but in wave mechanics we find that the history actually belongs only to the amplitudes (which have magnitude and phase) being coadded to determine how the particles will behave.
Possibly, I guess that depends on how seriously we take quantum mechanics. Personally, I have noticed a historical trend that physicists of any era tend to imagine that their current theories embody truth in similar terms to that, and then later eras of physicists look back on them and say "how naive they were"-- then turn around and make the exact same mistake themselves!San K said:Interesting...can we say that all the information in the (known) universe is essentially coded in amplitues, phases, spins and spatial arrangements been photons and their constructs (molecules, galaxies etc)?
Single slit single particle interference is a phenomenon that occurs when a single particle, such as a photon or electron, passes through a single slit and creates an interference pattern on a screen or detector. This occurs due to the wave-like nature of particles, where they can interfere with themselves as they pass through the slit.
In double slit interference, two slits are used to create interference patterns, whereas in single slit single particle interference, only one slit is used. Additionally, in double slit interference, multiple particles are used to create the interference pattern, while in single slit single particle interference, only one particle is used.
The interference pattern in single slit single particle interference can be affected by several factors, including the size of the slit, the wavelength of the particle, and the distance between the slit and the screen or detector. Additionally, the speed and direction of the particle can also affect the interference pattern.
No, single slit single particle interference is a phenomenon that is only observed with microscopic particles, such as photons or electrons. This is due to the wave-like nature of these particles, which allows them to interfere with themselves as they pass through the slit.
Single slit single particle interference has various applications in fields such as quantum mechanics and optics. It is also used in experiments to study the wave-particle duality of particles and to determine the properties of particles, such as their wavelength and speed.