Collapse and creation of wave function

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the behavior of photons in a double slit experiment, particularly focusing on the effects of observation on wave function collapse and the potential for interference patterns to emerge after determining the path of the photon.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions whether a photon, after being observed to determine its path in a double slit experiment, would still produce an interference pattern if sent through a second double slit.
  • Another participant agrees with the possibility of obtaining a second interference pattern, provided the experiment is correctly set up, despite the initial observation collapsing the wave function.
  • A participant elaborates that observing the photon causes it to behave like a particle temporarily, suggesting that the interference pattern is lost during observation but may re-emerge if the photon is not observed in subsequent stages.
  • There is a reference to Schrödinger's cat thought experiment and the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, indicating that knowing one property of a particle (like position) affects the uncertainty of another property (like momentum).

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the implications of observation on the behavior of photons, particularly regarding the emergence of interference patterns after observation. There is no clear consensus on the outcomes of the proposed thought experiment.

Contextual Notes

The discussion includes assumptions about the setup of the experiments and the nature of wave function collapse, which are not fully explored or defined. The implications of the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle are mentioned but not resolved in the context of the discussion.

San K
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in a double slit experiment, if we find which-way and then stop observing the photon and send it again through another double slit (kept in, say, series), would an interference pattern occur?...the second time around
 
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If I am envisioning your thought experiment correctly, then yes.

Just to make sure I'm visualizing the same thing, you're talking about letting the photon pass through a detection screen, then through a second double slit, then to a second detector, you should be able to get a second interference pattern, in theory, as long as the experiment is set up correctly.
 
CJames said:
If I am envisioning your thought experiment correctly, then yes.

Just to make sure I'm visualizing the same thing, you're talking about letting the photon pass through a detection screen, then through a second double slit, then to a second detector, you should be able to get a second interference pattern, in theory, as long as the experiment is set up correctly.

thanks CJames. so in the first screen there would be no interference pattern (because we got which-way) however the second screen would have the interference pattern.

so getting which-way causes the photon to behave as a particle but only for a short period of time, when we are observing the photon?
 
San K said:
thanks CJames. so in the first screen there would be no interference pattern (because we got which-way) however the second screen would have the interference pattern.

so getting which-way causes the photon to behave as a particle but only for a short period of time, when we are observing the photon?

When we have determined the path of a said photon then we observe that it behave particle like i.e for example if one photon has gone through a slit we'll see a point on the screen ahead however say if haven't observed the wave-function of the photon then an interference pattern is observed. Yes,for a short period as long as the observer is inciting a collapse.

Have a read on Schrödinger's "Cat in a box" experiment[ C.I] which explains quantum behavior adequately and HUP.When we know the position of a particle with greater precision then this induces greater uncertainty over the momentum parameter, as a result of this we find ourselves being able to calculate one parameter but this irrevocable changes other.

-ibysaiyan
 
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