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Diffstat (limited to 'single-photon-interference.tex')
| -rw-r--r-- | single-photon-interference.tex | 4 |
1 files changed, 2 insertions, 2 deletions
diff --git a/single-photon-interference.tex b/single-photon-interference.tex index 6354630..0527334 100644 --- a/single-photon-interference.tex +++ b/single-photon-interference.tex @@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ separated white light into its colors, and in the 1680's hypothesized that light 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 -explained in terms of waves. His experiment not only suggested that such 'light waves' existed; it also +explained in terms of waves. His experiment not only suggested that such `light waves' existed; it also provided a result that could be used to determine the wavelength of light, measured in familiar units. Light waves became even more acceptable with dynamical theories of light, such as Fresnel's and Maxwell's, in the 19th century, until it seemed that the wave theory of light was incontrovertible. @@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ century, until it seemed that the wave theory of light was incontrovertible. And yet the discovery of the photoelectric effect, and its explanation in terms of light quanta by Einstein, threw the matter into dispute again. The explanations of blackbody radiation, of the photoelectric effect, and -of the Compton effect seemed to point to the existence of 'photons', quanta of light that possessed definite and +of the Compton effect seemed to point to the existence of `photons', quanta of light that possessed definite and indivisible amounts of energy and momentum. These are very satisfactory explanations so far as they go, but they throw into question the destructive-interference explanation of Young's experiment. Does light have a dual nature, of waves and of particles? And if experiments force us to suppose that it does, how does the light know |