Two-Slit Experiment: Photon Energy Shift from Gravity

In summary, the two slit experiment can be modified by positioning the slits vertically, resulting in a small red/blue shift in the energy of photons due to gravity. However, this does not allow for the detection of which path a photon took as the energy loss and gain is equal for both slits. Additionally, it is unlikely that the energy difference can be detected with current technology.
  • #1
Emissive
20
0
If we perform the two slit experiment vertically - so the slots are above one another - we should observe a small amount of red / blue shift in the energy of the photons when they hit the screen (due to gravity). The path length from each slit is not symetric so the arriving photons energy would vary depending on the route. This would avoid measuring the photons at the slits but still - over time - assuming the equipment was sensitive enough - predict which path a photon took.

Would the arriving energy level of the photon be a combination of the energies of a photon going through both the two slits path? Or always be one of the two energy levels required for it go down either path?
 
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  • #2
The energy loss from a photon is the same no matter which slit it went through. All you would know is that the photons hitting the upper part of the sensor are redshifted a little bit more than the lower part, not which path they took.
 
  • #3
How about single photon interference with the backstop an photoelectron material. If the electron comes through the top slit and down to a central, phase additive line, then an electron is emitted. Otherwise, through the bottom slit, the energy is insufficient.

Personally, I'm not sure that you can get an narrow enough bandwidth to detect the tiny, tiny energy difference.
 
  • #4
MRBlizzard said:
How about single photon interference with the backstop an photoelectron material. If the electron comes through the top slit and down to a central, phase additive line, then an electron is emitted. Otherwise, through the bottom slit, the energy is insufficient.

Personally, I'm not sure that you can get an narrow enough bandwidth to detect the tiny, tiny energy difference.

You're missing the point of the experiment. He's proposing that you can detect which slit the photon went through by measuring its energy upon detection. But this won't work. A photon detected 1 inch above the center of the screen will have an identical amount of energy no matter which slit it came through. It's not path length that matters, it's net vertical movement in the gravitational field, and that remains the same no matter which slit it goes through.
 
  • #5
it's net vertical movement in the gravitational field, and that remains the same no matter which slit it goes through.

Why doesn't the photon passing through the higher slit gain energy upon descending to the middle of the screen, where the interference occurs?
 
  • #6
MRBlizzard said:
Why doesn't the photon passing through the higher slit gain energy upon descending to the middle of the screen, where the interference occurs?

Who said it doesn't?
But first it must lose energy because it passed through the top slit, so the gain is equal to the loss. And the reverse is true for one passing through the bottom. First it gains energy, then it loses it. So whether it passes through the bottom or the top the energy is the same.
 
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1. What is the Two-Slit Experiment?

The Two-Slit Experiment is a thought experiment that was first proposed by Thomas Young in the early 1800s. It involves shining a beam of particles (such as photons) through two parallel slits and observing the resulting interference pattern on a screen behind the slits.

2. What does the Two-Slit Experiment demonstrate?

The Two-Slit Experiment demonstrates the wave-like behavior of particles. When the particles pass through the slits, they interfere with each other, creating a pattern of light and dark bands on the screen. This is only possible if the particles behave like waves, rather than individual, discrete particles.

3. How does the Two-Slit Experiment relate to photon energy shift from gravity?

The Two-Slit Experiment also demonstrates the concept of wave-particle duality, which states that particles can exhibit both wave-like and particle-like behavior. In the case of photon energy shift from gravity, the photons are affected by the gravitational field of the slits, causing a shift in their energy levels, similar to how particles can be affected by the gravitational field of a massive object.

4. Why is the Two-Slit Experiment important in understanding quantum mechanics?

The Two-Slit Experiment is important in understanding quantum mechanics because it challenges our traditional understanding of particles and waves. It also provides evidence for the probabilistic nature of quantum phenomena, as the interference pattern cannot be predicted with certainty, but only with a certain probability.

5. What are the implications of the Two-Slit Experiment for our understanding of the universe?

The Two-Slit Experiment has significant implications for our understanding of the universe as it raises questions about the nature of reality and our ability to observe and measure it. It also highlights the limitations of classical physics and the need for quantum mechanics to fully explain the behavior of particles at the subatomic level.

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