Has the double slit experiment been conducted without a detector?

b1ll
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Hi,
I was watching a Royal Institution lecture on this experiment. Using light, it's not quantum physics, it's waves; when the lecturer considered using particles, like individual atoms, and no detector, you get bands like an interference pattern. Is this something that has actually been done or is it some sort of thought experiment? Brian Cox showed something similar, concerning elections, but I couldn't make out if that is something that had been done in fact. The pint about no detector was baffling too.
If someone could she'd some light please. Thank you for your time.
Regards,
b1ll.
 
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Welcome to PhysicsForums, b1ll!

A quantum particle can at varying times exhibit either wave or particle behavior. So in the double slit experiment: when you know (or could know) which slit the particle went through, there is no interference pattern created.

This experiment has been performed many many times, and on a variety of types of particles.
 
Thank you Dr Chinese. It settles my mind that these things are fact! Thank you for your welcome. B1ll.
 

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