Is the Relativistic Mass of Light Affecting Quantum Experiments?

[ptabor]

Did you guys get this link yet?

http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/Sept06/schwab.quantum.html

Simply amazing.

 

[ZapperZ]

Er... pssst! Posted on 9-13-06

https://www.physicsforums.com/showpost.php?p=1083350&postcount=22Zz.

Edit: Thanks for the link though, we can add this to that post.

 

[Rade]

Question. When they say this ["We made measurements of position that are so intense -- so strongly coupled -- that by looking at it we can make it move," said Schwab] this means they made it move by shining photons of light on it, which of course have "relativistic mass" and thus could act as a force to cause movement--correct ? In other words, if they had made their measurements in complete (100 %) darkness no movement would have been detected--correct ?

 

[Farsight]

I wasn't clear on how the superconducting single-electron transistor is "looking".

 

[ptabor]

In response to Rade:

You are correct in that measurement is the process of shooting photons (or something else) at a target. Doing the experiment in darkness won't make a difference, as you have to perturb the system to measure it.

It seems to me you're thinking that the lights in the room are affecting the outcome of the experiment. This isn't the issue, rather it's the issue of the actual measurement.

 

[Rade]

...It seems to me you're thinking that the lights in the room are affecting the outcome of the experiment. This isn't the issue, rather it's the issue of the actual measurement.

Thank you. I was thinking of the relativistic mass of the light photons in the room as the cause of the experimental "movement" reported, I do not see how we get an "actual measurement" in this experiment without the lights in the room, thus I think this is the issue as you say for understanding the reported movement--but if I error please correct my thinking.