I What Is The Nature Of Absorption Randomity?

[Chris Frisella]

What is the nature of the randomity that results in where a photon is absorbed? I'm thinking of the double slit experiment with single photon emmisions. There is the greatest probability of absorption in the middle reagon, but despite that the photon sometimes goes to one of the far sides. What monitors this?

 

[houlahound]

What monitors this is some form of detector beyond the capability of the human eye.

 

[Chris Frisella]

What monitors this is some form of detector beyond the capability of the human eye.

I get that. By "monitor" I mean control or regulate.

 

[houlahound]

The complex laws of nature ie QM.

 

[Chris Frisella]

The complex laws of nature ie QM.

We need to get this less mysterious one of these days!

 

[houlahound]

QM describes the behavior which is "controlled" by the complex interaction of fields/potentials and energy.

There is an excellent paper often quoted on the PF that fully solves the problem you have posed using only first year college calc and algebra.

There is no mystery per se, just some well defined rules.

 

[bhobba]

We need to get this less mysterious one of these days!

It not that mysterious:
https://arxiv.org/ftp/quant-ph/papers/0703/0703126.pdf

Due to the uncertainty relations as it goes through the slit a position measurement is done and its state is changed to one with a random direction. When you have two slits you apply the principle of superposition and add the two states together. When you do that you get the interference pattern.

Thanks
Bill