In a two-mirror interferometer, only one photon is needed at a time to create an interference pattern, although a large number of photons must be accumulated to visualize the pattern on a screen. This principle also applies to electrons in the double-slit experiment, where a single electron can pass through the slits, yet an interference pattern emerges as more electrons are detected over time. The phenomenon demonstrates that individual particles contribute to the overall pattern, emphasizing the importance of accumulation in quantum interference experiments.
PREREQUISITESPhysicists, students of quantum mechanics, and researchers interested in the behavior of particles in interference experiments will benefit from this discussion.
Only one at a time is needed. The same is true of, say, electrons in the double slit experiment. The current through the slits can be reduced so low that only one electron at a time is passing through the slits. An interference pattern will still be produced, though you still need to accumulate many electrons at the detector over time to build up the observed pattern. After all, a single particle cannot make a pattern.Bob8102 said:If you have, say, a two-mirror interferometer that is producing an interference pattern, how many photons are interfering? Two, or just one?