Ref for single electron double slit experiments

marsdk

Hi there,

Single electron realizations of the double slit experiment is always mentioned as one of the standards 'proofs' of particle/wave duality, along with a series of pictures with single dots appearing in an interference pattern.

Has anyone ever made the experiment with single electrons (or neutrons or other massive particles)? And are those famous pictures just pure thought experiment, or from an actual article?

I know that is has been made with molecules up to the size C60 molecules (and in the C60 case, it was in effect one molecule at a time, according to the article by Nairz), and that Taylor made it with single photons as long ago as 1910'ish.

However I would like to know about the electron case.

PS: Has anyone experimentally tried 'observing one slit' and witnessed the following collapse of the wave function ?

Best, Mikkel

jtbell

http://www.hitachi.com/rd/research/em/doubleslit.html

Karl Coryat

There's some interesting info on the history behind this experiment in Mark Silverman's book on quantum superposition. The description is at the very beginning of the book, which you can read for free on Google Books preview.

Drakkith

That was awesome...