Double Slit Experiment: Explained in Detail

In summary, the double slit experiment involves shining a light at two different slits and observing interference patterns when shooting one photon at the two slits. This is due to the superposition of paths that the photon can take, but if this superposition is destroyed by measurement, the interference pattern will not occur. The type of measurement made is crucial, as certain measurements can preserve the superposition while others can destroy it.
  • #36
Ha, that's a good point, lucky for me i wasn't really serious about it. :smile:
 
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  • #37
To be more serious, was the environment where this experiment was performed controlled with respect to electromagnetic emissions? I understand it must be hard to completely eliminate it as there should always be some background radiation but isn't it possible that this residual radiation affects the behavior of the photon? For example, with one slit, this background radiation flows from one side to the other without any interference, so the electromagnetic wave corresponding to the photon is free to take its path. With two slits the background radiation might generate some interference pattern which might affect the photon. Just considering some possibilities.
One question i have about the experiment is, does the photon always make it to the other side of the slits, or does it sometimes collide with the wall and not reach the detector? If it's the second scenario then that's just odd.
 
  • #38
Honorable_Death said:
all I am really asking, is there any way to shoot a photon at 2 slits, at a random angle (or whater random factor they use in the double slit experiment), is it possible to make it not interfere with itself?

Yea, look at look at which gate each photon goes through and it won't interfere with itself
 

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