Can wave particle duality be viewed at macroscopic scale ?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the feasibility of observing wave-particle duality at a macroscopic scale, particularly through the example of a car. It highlights experimental evidence involving 430 atoms demonstrating superposition in an interferometer, where atoms exist in two distinct paths simultaneously. The conversation also touches on the limitations of observing wave behavior in objects heavier than the Planck mass, where current physical theories may fail. Key references include the molecular octopus experiment and relevant literature from Nature Communications.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of wave-particle duality
  • Familiarity with quantum mechanics concepts such as superposition
  • Knowledge of interferometry techniques
  • Basic grasp of Planck mass and its implications in physics
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the principles of quantum interferometry
  • Explore the implications of Planck mass on wave behavior
  • Study the molecular octopus experiment in detail
  • Investigate the limitations of current physical theories at macroscopic scales
USEFUL FOR

Physicists, quantum mechanics researchers, and students interested in the implications of wave-particle duality at macroscopic scales.

shivaniits
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can wave particle duality be viewed at macroscopic scale...??

ok so far we have discussed the wave particle duality in case of electrons of-course at microscopic level through the
1) interference phenomenon showing its wave behavior
2)photoelectric effect discussing its particle characteristics..!
but we have discussed it at only microscopic level ...can it be possible to view this phenomenon at macroscopic level ...particularly wave behavior ...! let take an example of a car how would we be proving its wave characteristics ...?
 
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actual experimental record 430 atoms.
http://vcq.quantum.at/-the-molecular-octopus-a-little-brother-of-schroedinger-s-cat-.5195.html[/URL]
[url]http://www.nature.com/ncomms/journal/v2/n4/full/ncomms1263.html[/url]

...In our experiment, the superposition consists of having all 430 atoms simultaneously 'in the left arm' and 'in the right arm' of our interferometer, that is, two possibilities that are macroscopically distinct. The path separation is about two orders of magnitude larger than the size of the molecules...
 
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Whether objects heavier than the Planck mass (about the weight of a large bacterium) have a de Broglie wavelength is theoretically unclear and experimentally unreachable; above the Planck mass a particle's Compton wavelength would be smaller than the Planck length and its own Schwarzschild radius, a scale at which current theories of physics may break down or need to be replaced by more general ones.[24]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wave-particle_duality#Wave_behavior_of_large_objects
 

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