Disappearance of interference pattern in double slit

In summary, the disappearance of the interference pattern in the double slit experiment occurs when which-path information is obtained about the particles, such as electrons or photons. This can happen when detectors are placed at the slits or when the measurement process collapses the wave function, leading to the observation of particle-like behavior instead of wave-like behavior. Consequently, the interference pattern, which is characteristic of wave phenomena, vanishes, illustrating the principle of wave-particle duality in quantum mechanics.
  • #1
elou
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TL;DR Summary
I have discovered an article that expresses much better than I did in a previous thread that interference fringes disappear without being replaced by single slit interference
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-43323-2. Please note Figure 4 p.4 of the article, and the following description:
"
In Fig. 4(h), the right slit is completely blocked, the interference fringes have disappeared completely and only the diffraction image of the open left slit remains." (p.4).
As in a previous thread, the question why a single slit interference pattern does not appear, remains unanswered.
 

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  • #2
elou said:
As in a previous thread, the question why a single slit interference pattern does not appear, remains unanswered.
41598_2019_43323_Fig4_HTML.png

From the article figure 4g is a single slit interference pattern which is often called a diffraction pattern.
 
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  • #3
elou said:
As in a previous thread, the question why a single slit interference pattern does not appear, remains unanswered.

No no, it remains answered, you just don't like the answers.
 
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  • #4
weirdoguy said:
No no, it remains answered, you just don't like the answers.
Please remind me of it. I promise I will do my best. Just to make sure we are talking about the same thing: do you see an interference pattern in 4h?
 
  • #5
Dale said:
41598_2019_43323_Fig4_HTML.png

From the article figure 4g is a single slit interference pattern which is often called a diffraction pattern.
If I understand you correctly. as well as @weirdoguy , it is a matter of terminology? When I say "interference pattern" you all understand "diffraction pattern"?
 
  • #6
Don't single slit interference patterns look very much like double slit interference patterns?

 
  • #7
elou said:
If I understand you correctly. as well as @weirdoguy , it is a matter of terminology? When I say "interference pattern" you all understand "diffraction pattern"?
When you say “single slit interference pattern” it is the same as “diffraction pattern”
 
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  • #8
Dale said:
When you say “single slit interference pattern” it is the same as “diffraction pattern”
Okay, that could explain the confusion. Then, I should have said, the single slit interference pattern that looks almost like the double slit interference pattern.
 
  • #9
elou said:
, the single slit interference pattern that looks almost like the double slit interference pattern.
I have no idea what you mean here. Does figure 4g look almost like figure 4a?
 
  • #10
elou said:
Then, I should have said, the single slit interference pattern that looks almost like the double slit interference pattern.
What the patterns look like depends on the details of the shape, size and position of the slits. To determine what they should look like or what we expect them to look like, we have to do the necessary calculations.

As in a previous thread…
Please do take a moment to review the forum rule about restarting closed threads.
 
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  • #11
In this thread we are just repeating what was said in the previous thread, to no greater effect.

The thread is closed. @elou, the best way for you to continue your interest in wave phenomena would be to get hold of Crawford’s “Waves” (mentioned in the previous thread) or equivalent and work through it.
 
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  • #12
elou said:
Don't single slit interference patterns look very much like double slit interference patterns?
They can do. But the scale of a pattern depends on the sizes and separations of the slits. The gap between the slits in 4b in the diagram Dale posted is 8 times the width of the slits, so the double slit pattern is about 8 times narrower than the single slit one. The single slit central maximum is double width, though, so you'd expect about 16 maxima of the double slit pattern in the central maximum of the single slit pattern.

So in 4a you are seeing a single maximum of the single slit pattern multiplied by about sixteen maxima of the double slit. In 4g you are just seeing the central maximum of the single slit pattern.

Thanks to @Nugatory for re-opening the thread so I could post the quantitative point.
 
  • #13
Dale said:
When you say “single slit interference pattern” it is the same as “diffraction pattern”
And just to re-emphasize, @elou, this was already stated in your previous thread.
 
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FAQ: Disappearance of interference pattern in double slit

What causes the disappearance of the interference pattern in a double-slit experiment?

The interference pattern in a double-slit experiment disappears when which-path information is obtained. This means that if you can determine through which slit a particle (such as a photon or electron) has passed, the wave-like behavior that produces the interference pattern is destroyed, leading to the disappearance of the pattern.

How does observation or measurement affect the interference pattern?

Observation or measurement affects the interference pattern by collapsing the wave function of the particles. When you observe or measure which slit the particle goes through, you introduce a form of decoherence that forces the particle to behave more like a classical particle rather than a wave, thus eliminating the interference pattern.

Can the interference pattern be restored after it has disappeared?

In principle, the interference pattern can be restored if the which-path information is erased or made indeterminate. This is known as "quantum erasure." If you can somehow remove or ignore the information about which path the particle took, the wave-like behavior can re-emerge, and the interference pattern can be observed again.

Does the type of particle affect the disappearance of the interference pattern?

The type of particle (photon, electron, etc.) does not fundamentally change the principle behind the disappearance of the interference pattern. What matters is whether or not which-path information is available. Any particle that exhibits wave-particle duality will lose its interference pattern if which-path information is obtained.

Is the disappearance of the interference pattern a result of the observer's consciousness?

No, the disappearance of the interference pattern is not a result of the observer's consciousness. It is a result of the physical interaction involved in the measurement process. The act of measurement itself, which involves an interaction with the particle, causes the wave function to collapse, regardless of whether a conscious observer is involved.

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