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| -rw-r--r-- | single-photon-interference.tex | 6 |
1 files changed, 3 insertions, 3 deletions
diff --git a/single-photon-interference.tex b/single-photon-interference.tex index d0a445b..0692684 100644 --- a/single-photon-interference.tex +++ b/single-photon-interference.tex @@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ \section*{History} There is a rich historical background behind the experiment you are about to perform. Isaac Newton first -separated white light into its colors, and in the 1680's hypothesized that light was composed of 'corpuscles', +separated white light into its colors, and in the 1680's hypothesized that light was composed of `corpuscles', supposed to possess some properties of particles. This view reigned until the 1800's, when Thomas Young first performed the two-slit experiment now known by his name. In this experiment he discovered a property of destructive interference, which seemed impossible to explain in terms of corpuscles, but is very naturally @@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ sure you find and record the ranges of micrometer reading where you observe the \begin{enumerate} \item both slits are blocked; \item light emerges only from one of the two slits; -\item both slits are open +\item both slits are open; \item light emerges only from the other slit; \item the light from both slits is blocked. \end{enumerate} @@ -274,7 +274,7 @@ calculate the wavelength of the light, and check that it is consistent with the \end{itemize} -The plots of your experimental data are clear evidence of particle-wave duality for photons. You've made contact with the central question of quantum mechanics: how can light, which so clearly propagates as a wave that we can measure its wavelength, also be detected as individual photon events? Or alternatively, how can individual photons in flight through this apparatus nevertheless 'know' whether one, or both, slits are open, in the sense of giving photon arrival rates which decrease when a second slit is opened? Discuss these issues in your lab report. +The plots of your experimental data are clear evidence of particle-wave duality for photons. You've made contact with the central question of quantum mechanics: how can light, which so clearly propagates as a wave that we can measure its wavelength, also be detected as individual photon events? Or alternatively, how can individual photons in flight through this apparatus nevertheless `know' whether one, or both, slits are open, in the sense of giving photon arrival rates which decrease when a second slit is opened? Discuss these issues in your lab report. \section*{\emph{Two-Slit interference with atoms}\footnote{Special thanks to Prof. Seth Aubin for providing the materials for this section}} |