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kye
- 168
- 2
Let's say you prepare a pure state in a single electron at a time double slit experiment meaning the electron interferes with itself, then you hit the electron with a one photon at the sides (serving as environment) causing decoherence, so the double slit setup decohere and becomes mixed state without the electron interfering with itself. But if you treat the system and environment together by encompassing both the electron and know the photon, you are said to retrieve the phases and get back the interference (become pure state again). What experiments have been done like this? But there is clearly no interference anymore even if you hit it with one photon and know its state to retrieve the phases.. so how can it said to be in pure state again?