How is the wavefunction defined in the double slit experiment for electrons?

zeta101
Messages
44
Reaction score
0
Hi, just need a quick confirmation I am right with something! :)

If we are considering electrons (for example) going through the double slit experiment one at a time would it be correct to define the wavefunction for the electron as follows?

\Ket{\Psi} = C_1\Ket{\phi_1} + C_2\Ket{\phi_2}

where \Ket{\phi_1} and \Ket{\phi_2} are eigenfunctions representing the electron going trhough slit 1 or slit 2 respectively and the C's are just some constants.

Actually, about the C's, would they be defined as follows?

C_1 = 1/ |\Ket{\phi_1}|^2

and etc for the other C?

Thanks!
 
Last edited:
Physics news on Phys.org
hmmm, my kets didnt come out, but still means the same thing!

TIA for any replies!
 
zeta101 said:
hmmm, my kets didnt come out, but still means the same thing!

TIA for any replies!

Yes,quantum phenomenology requires that the state vector of the system be written as a linear combination of vectors for the each slit (event) which are themselves normed and we have reasons to believe to mutual ortogonal.
Write |\Psi>=C_{1}|\phi_{1}>+C_{2}|\phi_{2}> and then use Dirac trick apply the corresponding "bra" .Use normalization for each vector and u can come up with the interpretation of those constants in terms of probabilities.
For the expression of each constant,apply 2 times the 2 "bra"s corresponding to |\phi_{1}> and |\phi_{2}> ans use again the normalizations and the orthogonality between vectors.
 
I read Hanbury Brown and Twiss's experiment is using one beam but split into two to test their correlation. It said the traditional correlation test were using two beams........ This confused me, sorry. All the correlation tests I learnt such as Stern-Gerlash are using one beam? (Sorry if I am wrong) I was also told traditional interferometers are concerning about amplitude but Hanbury Brown and Twiss were concerning about intensity? Isn't the square of amplitude is the intensity? Please...
I am not sure if this belongs in the biology section, but it appears more of a quantum physics question. Mike Wiest, Associate Professor of Neuroscience at Wellesley College in the US. In 2024 he published the results of an experiment on anaesthesia which purported to point to a role of quantum processes in consciousness; here is a popular exposition: https://neurosciencenews.com/quantum-process-consciousness-27624/ As my expertise in neuroscience doesn't reach up to an ant's ear...
Insights auto threads is broken atm, so I'm manually creating these for new Insight articles. Towards the end of the first lecture for the Qiskit Global Summer School 2025, Foundations of Quantum Mechanics, Olivia Lanes (Global Lead, Content and Education IBM) stated... Source: https://www.physicsforums.com/insights/quantum-entanglement-is-a-kinematic-fact-not-a-dynamical-effect/ by @RUTA
Back
Top