The double-slit experiment with a pit in the screen

  • #1
Imya
2
0
TL;DR Summary
How does the distribution of light power between the pit and the rest of the flat screen depend on opening two slits or closing one slit? Five predictable experiments were previously described to formulate a question for the experiment #6.
The main question is contained below in the experiment #6. But first, 5 simple experiments are described to describe the designations that are used in the question of the experiment #6.

In the double-slit experiment, the slits are labeled α and β. A region C is designated on the screen. The power passes through the open slit: ##{P_\alpha} = {P_\beta} = {P_{\rm{sl}}}##

Experiment #1: Both slits are open, and the screen is a flat solid surface. This is well described and shown in the diagram (which is taken from here). The total power of light on the screen is ##{P_{\rm{scr 1}}} = {P_\alpha} + {P_\beta} = 2 \cdot {P_{\rm{sl}}}##. The power of light outside the region C is ##{P_{{\rm{scr}} - {\rm{C }}1}} = {P_{{\rm{scr }}1}} - {P_{{\rm{C }}1}} = 2 \cdot {P_{{\rm{sl}}}} - {P_{{\rm{C }}1}}##.

Two-Slit_Experiment1.png


Experiment #2: Slit α is open. Slit β is closed. The total power of light on the screen is ##{P_{{\rm{scr 2}}}} = {P_\alpha } = {P_{{\rm{sl}}}}##. The power of light outside the region C is ##{P_{{\rm{scr}} - {\rm{C }}2}} = {P_{{\rm{scr }}2}} - {P_{{\rm{C }}2}} = {P_{{\rm{sl}}}} - {P_{{\rm{C }}2}}##.

Experiment #3: Slit β is open. Slit α is closed. The total power of light on the screen is ##{P_{{\rm{scr 3}}}} = {P_\beta } = {P_{{\rm{sl}}}}##. The power of light outside the region C is ##{P_{{\rm{scr}} - {\rm{C }}3}} = {P_{{\rm{scr }}3}} - {P_{{\rm{C }}3}} = {P_{{\rm{sl}}}} - {P_{{\rm{C }}3}}##.

Considering symmetry, the index 23 is added:
$${P_{{\rm{C }}2}} = {P_{{\rm{C }}3}} = {P_{{\rm{C 2}}3}} \Rightarrow {P_{{\rm{scr}} - {\rm{C }}2}} = {P_{{\rm{scr}} - {\rm{C }}3}} = {P_{{\rm{scr}} - {\rm{C 2}}3}}$$

In Experiment #1, the power of light in the region C is greater than the sum in Experiments #2 and #3. Therefore, the power of the rest of the screen is less:
$${P_{{\rm{C }}1}} > 2{P_{{\rm{C 2}}3}} \Rightarrow {P_{{\rm{scr}} - {\rm{C }}1}} < 2{P_{{\rm{scr}} - {\rm{C 2}}3}}$$


Next, the conical pit with A and B is made in the screen within the region C, as shown in the next diagram. The region A sees slit α and does not see slit β. The region B sees slit β and does not see slit α. This means that a straight ray from A falls on α, but not on β. A straight ray from B falls on β, but not on α. Because the angle between A and B is less than the angle between the straight rays from the slit α and β to the screen centre, as shown in the next diagram. Diffraction at the edges of the transition from regions A and B to the flat screen is neglected, assuming the region C size is much larger than the wavelength.

The experiments #4 and #5 are repeated experiments #2 and #3 with the new screen. The power in the regions A and B can be easily determined:
$${P_{{\rm{A }}4}} = {P_{{\rm{{C} }}2}} = {P_{{\rm{{C} }}23}} $$
$${P_{{\rm{B }}4}} = 0$$
$${P_{{\rm{A }}5}} = 0$$
$${P_{{\rm{B }}5}} = {P_{{\rm{{C} }}3}} = {P_{{\rm{{C} }}23}}$$
$${P_{{\rm{A }}4}} + {P_{{\rm{B }}4}} + {P_{{\rm{A }}5}} + {P_{{\rm{B }}5}} < {P_{{\rm{C }}1}}$$
$${P_{{\rm{scr}} - \left( {{\rm{A}} + {\rm{B}}} \right){\rm{ }}4}} = {P_{{\rm{scr}} - {\rm{{C} }}2}} = {P_{{\rm{scr}} - {\rm{{C} }}23}}$$
$${P_{{\rm{scr}} - \left( {{\rm{A}} + {\rm{B}}} \right){\rm{ }}5}} = {P_{{\rm{scr}} - {\rm{{C} }}3}} = {P_{{\rm{scr}} - {\rm{{C} }}23}}$$


Two-Slit_Experiment2.png


Experiment #6: Both slits are open, and there is the conical pit in the screen.
What will be the power in the regions A and B? What will be the power in the the rest of the screen? Is there the right (1) or (2) or something else?


The conservation of energy requires:
$${P_{{\rm{A }}6}} + {P_{{\rm{B }}6}} + {P_{{\rm{scr}} - {\rm{{C} }}6}} = {P_{{\rm{scr 6}}}} = {P_\alpha } + {P_\beta } = 2 \cdot {P_{{\rm{sl}}}}$$
If the power outside the region C corresponds to Experiment #1, then the power in the regions A and B must change and become greater than in Experiments #4 and #5.
$${P_{{\rm{scr}} - {\rm{{C} }}6}} = {P_{{\rm{scr}} - {\rm{{C} }}1}} \Rightarrow {P_{{\rm{A }}6}} + {P_{{\rm{B }}6}} = {P_{{\rm{scr 6}}}} - {P_{{\rm{scr}} - {\rm{{C} }}6}} = 2 \cdot {P_{{\rm{sl}}}} - {P_{{\rm{scr}} - {\rm{{C} }}1}} = {P_{{\rm{C }}1}} > 2{P_{{\rm{C 2}}3}} = {P_{{\rm{A }}4}} + {P_{{\rm{B }}4}} + {P_{{\rm{A }}5}} + {P_{{\rm{B }}5}}$$
$$\left\{ \begin{array}{l}
{P_{{\rm{scr}} - {\rm{{C} }}6}} = {P_{{\rm{scr}} - {\rm{{C} }}1}}\\
{P_{{\rm{A }}6}} + {P_{{\rm{B }}6}} > 2{P_{{\rm{C 2}}3}}
\end{array} \right. \qquad(1) $$
But straight ray from each of the slit falls on only one corresponding region. Each of the regions sees only one corresponding slit. How can the power on it depend on whether the second slit is open or closed?

And if the power in the regions A and B remains the same as in Experiments #4 and #5, then the power of the rest of the screen must change and become greater than in Experiment #1:
$${P_{{\rm{A }}6}} + {P_{{\rm{B }}6}} = {P_{{\rm{A }}4}} + {P_{{\rm{B }}4}} + {P_{{\rm{A }}5}} + {P_{{\rm{B }}5}} = 2{P_{{\rm{C 2}}3}}$$
$${P_{{\rm{scr}} - {\rm{{C} }}6}} = {P_{{\rm{scr 6}}}} - \left( {{P_{{\rm{A }}6}} + {P_{{\rm{B }}6}}} \right) = 2 \cdot {P_{{\rm{sl}}}} - 2{P_{{\rm{C 2}}3}} = 2{P_{{\rm{scr}} - {\rm{{C} }}23}} > {P_{{\rm{scr}} - {\rm{{C} }}1}}\\$$
$$\left\{ \begin{array}{l}
{P_{{\rm{scr}} - {\rm{{C} }}6}} > {P_{{\rm{scr}} - {\rm{{C} }}1}}\\
{P_{{\rm{A }}6}} + {P_{{\rm{B }}6}} = 2{P_{{\rm{C 2}}3}}
\end{array} \right. \qquad(2) $$
But how can the power on the rest of the screen change due to the appearance of pits in it?
 
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  • #2
Imya said:
How does the distribution of light power between the pit and the rest of the flat screen depend on opening two slits or closing one slit? Five predictable experiments were previously described to formulate a question for the experiment #6.
This isn't a quantum physics question, it's a question about classical wave optics. But when you say
The region A sees slit α and does not see slit β. The region B sees slit β and does not see slit α. This means that a straight ray from A falls on α, but not on β. A straight ray from B falls on β, but not on α.
you are switching to ray optics and this inconsistency is causing the apparent contradiction.
To approach this problem correctly you will have to use wave methods consistently throughout: calculate the phase and amplitude at every point on the "mouth" of the pit (which is easy because it's just what we would find if the pit weren't there and we've already calculated that as C in case #1). This is the light source that is illuminating the walls A and B of the pit, and we can use that to calculate the intensity at every point along A and B.

Or if we just want to resolve the apparent contradiction, we could recognize that the total power delivered to the walls of the pit must be equal to the total power that passes through the mouth of the pit.
 

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