Double slit experiment IN TIME

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of performing the double slit experiment in a temporal context, rather than the traditional spatial setup. Participants explore the implications of using electric field peaks within a short laser pulse to create "slits" in time, and how this relates to interference phenomena.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant introduces the idea of the double slit experiment being conducted with time-based slits, using electric field peaks in a laser pulse.
  • Another participant references related discussions and talks on the equipment used for such experiments, indicating a broader context of research in this area.
  • A different participant discusses the concept of diffraction in the time domain, suggesting that a screen blocking a matter wave can lead to non-classical behavior in particle detection, citing a specific study for support.
  • A participant mentions a previous thread on the same topic, indicating ongoing interest and exploration of the concept of interference in time.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express various viewpoints on the concept of temporal slits and interference, with some supporting the idea of diffraction in time while others reference prior discussions. No consensus is reached on the implications or validity of these ideas.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference specific studies and previous discussions, indicating that there may be unresolved assumptions or dependencies on definitions related to the concepts of time-based interference and diffraction.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to those exploring advanced concepts in quantum mechanics, particularly in the context of wave-particle duality and temporal phenomena in physics.

marlon
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Double slit experiment IN TIME !

The famous double slit experiment performed in another way ... The slits are not in space but in time : two positive peaks and one negative peak of an electric field contained in a very short laser pulse...


https://www.physicsforums.com/journal.php?s=&journalid=13790&action=view

marlon
 
Last edited by a moderator:
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marlon said:
The famous double slit experiment performed in another way ... The slits are not in space but in time : two positive peaks and one negative peak of an electric field contained in a very short laser pulse...


https://www.physicsforums.com/journal.php?s=&journalid=13790&action=view

marlon

I was looking at this. There are several related talks on video in the link
below about the equipment used, very interesting!

http://itamp.harvard.edu/attosecond/attosecond.html

especially the talk of Paulus here:

http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/dvlwrap/itamp/0311/paulus.ram

(Uses the Realplayer plug-in which you can download for free)


Regards, Hans
 
Last edited by a moderator:
There was a discussion on this a few months back in the thread 'Interference in time' in the 'theory development' forum.I am including here something that I wrote in one of my posts there:-

Diffraction in time domain is possible in the following sense---you have a screen blocking a matter wave which is suddenly removed(constituting an edge in time).Then there is a finite probability of finding the particle at a point distance d away in a time different from d/v,where v is the speed of the particle.In fact such a calculation has been done(see Phys. Rev. A,? & Zeilinger,3804-3824,1997)--the basic reason is fast spreading of matter wave-packets due to the presence of high momentum (Fourier)components (constituting the (sharp) wavepacket)--so the probability density reaches out faster than the speed of the particle.Such an effect is absent in the case of classical wave-equation(light) as there is no dispersion in free space.

Jagmeet
 
Last edited:

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