The discussion centers around the search for references related to delayed eraser experiments specifically involving electrons, contrasting with the more commonly studied photon-based experiments. Participants explore the feasibility and historical context of such experiments, as well as the challenges associated with using electrons in this context.
Participants do not reach a consensus on the existence of delayed eraser experiments with electrons, with some expressing doubt about their feasibility and others questioning the reasons for the lack of such experiments.
The discussion highlights the technical challenges associated with conducting experiments with electrons, including the need for a vacuum environment and the limitations in manipulating electron paths compared to photons. There is also a noted distinction between theoretical discussions and actual physical experiments in the available literature.
Electrons are much harder to work with than photons. They’re charged and interact readily with air molecules so can only be used in a vacuum. They can’t be reflected with mirrors, routed through fiber optic cables, or manipulated with beam splitters. Thus most experiments are done with photons unless there’s a specific reason to prefer using electrons.jeremyfiennes said:Any reasons why?