jtbell said:What does the single particle entangle with?
mfb said:If you entangle the particle with the detector in a significant way, you won't see interference. So: No, entanglement with the detector cannot explain interference.
Single particle interference is a phenomenon where a single particle behaves like a wave, exhibiting interference patterns when it interacts with itself or with other particles. This behavior is typically observed at the quantum level, where particles such as electrons or photons can exhibit wave-like properties.
Entanglement is a quantum phenomenon where two or more particles become connected in such a way that the state of one particle is dependent on the state of the other(s), even if they are separated by large distances. This means that measuring the state of one particle will instantly affect the state of the others, regardless of the distance between them.
It has been proposed that single particle interference can be explained by entanglement. This theory suggests that the wave-like behavior of a single particle is actually the result of entanglement with other particles, causing interference patterns to emerge. This is still a highly debated topic in the scientific community.
While there have been experiments that show correlations between entangled particles, there is currently no concrete evidence to support the idea that entanglement is the sole cause of single particle interference. Many scientists are still working to understand and explain this phenomenon.
If it is proven that entanglement is the cause of single particle interference, it could have significant implications for our understanding of quantum mechanics and the behavior of particles at the smallest scales. It could also have practical applications in fields such as quantum computing and communication.