5 ms·

Researchers observe single photons in two-slit interferometer experiment

34 points by revorad 15y ago

revorad 15y ago
Direct link to the paper - http://www.sciencemag.org/content/332/6034/1170.abstract http://www.sciencemag.org/content/332/6034/1170.abstract Unfortunately, I don't have full access. If anyone has it, can they post some more details about the experiment?
mikecane 15y ago
I just posted on this but will not link and just cut to the chase. Is anyone here able to answer this longstanding question I've had? >>>If it was possible to shoot one photon at a time through the twin slits, would the photons consistently land at the same spots over and over again? I keep wondering if it’s deterministic. The interference pattern is always the same, isn’t it? So why not the placement of each photon to create it? Kind of like setting up a chess board: each photon has its place.
- jameskilton 15y ago
  The double-slit experiment is one of the key to understanding quantum mechanics of individual particles and how particles don't act just like particles, but like waves as well. This section on wikipedia explains it quite well: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double-slit_experiment#When_observed_emission_by_emission http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double-slit_experiment#When_obs... In short, Quantum mechanics doesn't follow locality rules we're used to in our macro world, so it can be really hard to wrap your mind around what's going on.
  - mikecane 15y ago
    Oh, that's a great explanation! Finally! It trumps all the books for the general public I've read on the subject. Thanks very much.
  - eru 15y ago
    And those particles don't really behave like waves either. It's much stranger than that. Basically, quantum mechanics throws out the notion of a path of movement. You can tell where something is, when you observe it, but you can't tell where it has been in between.
patrickas 15y ago
Actually they did not measure definite positions and momenta for single photons, which would be HUGE news and contradict QM. They did a bunch of measurements on a bunch of photons and deduced an "average".
ajdecon 15y ago
Chad Orzel, an experimental physicist, has a pretty good explanation of this experiment (including the paper figures!) up on his blog: http://scienceblogs.com/principles/2011/06/watching_photons_interfere_obs.php http://scienceblogs.com/principles/2011/06/watching_photons_...
deleted 15y ago
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34 points by revorad 15y ago

Direct link to the paper - http://www.sciencemag.org/content/332/6034/1170.abstract http://www.sciencemag.org/content/332/6034/1170.abstract Unfortunately, I don't have full access. If anyone has it, can they post some more details about the experiment?

mikecane 15y ago

I just posted on this but will not link and just cut to the chase. Is anyone here able to answer this longstanding question I've had? >>>If it was possible to shoot one photon at a time through the twin slits, would the photons consistently land at the same spots over and over again? I keep wondering if it’s deterministic. The interference pattern is always the same, isn’t it? So why not the placement of each photon to create it? Kind of like setting up a chess board: each photon has its place.

jameskilton 15y ago
The double-slit experiment is one of the key to understanding quantum mechanics of individual particles and how particles don't act just like particles, but like waves as well. This section on wikipedia explains it quite well: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double-slit_experiment#When_observed_emission_by_emission http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double-slit_experiment#When_obs... In short, Quantum mechanics doesn't follow locality rules we're used to in our macro world, so it can be really hard to wrap your mind around what's going on.
- mikecane 15y ago
  Oh, that's a great explanation! Finally! It trumps all the books for the general public I've read on the subject. Thanks very much.
- eru 15y ago
  And those particles don't really behave like waves either. It's much stranger than that. Basically, quantum mechanics throws out the notion of a path of movement. You can tell where something is, when you observe it, but you can't tell where it has been in between.

patrickas 15y ago

Actually they did not measure definite positions and momenta for single photons, which would be HUGE news and contradict QM. They did a bunch of measurements on a bunch of photons and deduced an "average".

ajdecon 15y ago

Chad Orzel, an experimental physicist, has a pretty good explanation of this experiment (including the paper figures!) up on his blog: http://scienceblogs.com/principles/2011/06/watching_photons_interfere_obs.php http://scienceblogs.com/principles/2011/06/watching_photons_...

deleted 15y ago

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