A Double-Slit Experiment: Momentum & Position

Ad VanderVen
Messages
169
Reaction score
13
TL;DR Summary
In the double-slit experiment with two open slits, is there a fixed relationship between the momentum (p) of the particle immediately after passing through the slit and the position (q) of the impact on the screen?
In the double-slit experiment with two open slits, is there a fixed relationship between the momentum (p) of the particle immediately after passing through the slit and the position (q) of the impact on the screen?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Yes. The relationship is called Schrodinger's Equation for a non-relativistc massive particle.
If you wish a more specific answer you will need to formulate a more specific question.
 
My specific question is, that I have a formula for the probability density function of the momentum (p) of the particle immediately after it passes through the slit in the double-slit experiment with two open slits and I want to derive from that formula a formula for the probability density function of the position (q) of the impact on the screen?
 
Then you need to solve Schrodinger to match your specific boundary conditions in time and space. This will likely be very difficult.
There are many approximation techniques that are useful for particular situations. What does your formula look like?
 
It is formula (11) from Uffink and Hilgevoord. (1985):

$$\begin{align}
\phi \left(p \right) \, = \, \frac{\sqrt{2}~\sqrt{\frac{a }{\pi }}~\cos \left(A ~p \right)~\sin \left(a ~p \right)}{a ~p }
\end{align}$$

Reference

Uffink, J.B.M. and Hilgevoord, J. (1985). Uncertainty Principle and Uncertainty Relations. Foundations of Physics, Vol. 15, No. 9,
 
Last edited:
Not an expert in QM. AFAIK, Schrödinger's equation is quite different from the classical wave equation. The former is an equation for the dynamics of the state of a (quantum?) system, the latter is an equation for the dynamics of a (classical) degree of freedom. As a matter of fact, Schrödinger's equation is first order in time derivatives, while the classical wave equation is second order. But, AFAIK, Schrödinger's equation is a wave equation; only its interpretation makes it non-classical...
Insights auto threads is broken atm, so I'm manually creating these for new Insight articles. Towards the end of the first lecture for the Qiskit Global Summer School 2025, Foundations of Quantum Mechanics, Olivia Lanes (Global Lead, Content and Education IBM) stated... Source: https://www.physicsforums.com/insights/quantum-entanglement-is-a-kinematic-fact-not-a-dynamical-effect/ by @RUTA
Is it possible, and fruitful, to use certain conceptual and technical tools from effective field theory (coarse-graining/integrating-out, power-counting, matching, RG) to think about the relationship between the fundamental (quantum) and the emergent (classical), both to account for the quasi-autonomy of the classical level and to quantify residual quantum corrections? By “emergent,” I mean the following: after integrating out fast/irrelevant quantum degrees of freedom (high-energy modes...
Back
Top