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Two new papers on beautiful experiments were published this month
concerning the Wave Particle duality of the photon:Paradox in Wave-Particle Duality
S.Afshar et. Al. in Foundations of Physics.
http://www.springerlink.com/content/q110r82074w03277/fulltext.pdf
Experimental realization of Wheeler’s delayed-choice
GedankenExperiment
J-F. Roch, A. Aspect, P.Grangier in Science.
http://arxiv.org/PS_cache/quant-ph/pdf/0610/0610241.pdf
What these experiments have in common is that they seem to produce
exactly as one would expect from classical optics / EM radiation theory,
and both do so one photon at a time. An effect which continues to
puzzle physicist.
In the above sense these experiments do not bring anything new but
the discussion is all about the interpretation of this effect and more
concrete: The validity of Bohr’s Principle of Complementarity:
So, Bohr said in 1927 that it's either wave or particle but never both
at the same time. At this time this was a change of mind for Bohr who
had opposed Einstein's idea of the photon as a quantum particle for
more than a decade:
www.springerlink.com/index/T0851U2611465V25.pdf
http://arxiv.org/PS_cache/physics/pdf/0212/0212090.pdf
The two papers should be seen in the light of this. The authors make
diametrically opposed claims:
The authors of the first experiment claim to show that the photon can
have simultaneous wave and particle properties and disagree with Bohr.
The authors of the second experiment hold on to Bohr and claim that
their experiment demonstrates that "In the present, one can change
something that has already happened in the past" Namely the decision
of the photon to behave as a particle, or, as a wave.
All authors agree that Bohr's principle of complementarity disagrees
with Einstein's ideas and his work on relativity. Both groups quote
Wheeler as if he agrees with their (opposite) claims in the conclusion
of their papers. Regards, Hans
concerning the Wave Particle duality of the photon:Paradox in Wave-Particle Duality
S.Afshar et. Al. in Foundations of Physics.
http://www.springerlink.com/content/q110r82074w03277/fulltext.pdf
Experimental realization of Wheeler’s delayed-choice
GedankenExperiment
J-F. Roch, A. Aspect, P.Grangier in Science.
http://arxiv.org/PS_cache/quant-ph/pdf/0610/0610241.pdf
What these experiments have in common is that they seem to produce
exactly as one would expect from classical optics / EM radiation theory,
and both do so one photon at a time. An effect which continues to
puzzle physicist.
In the above sense these experiments do not bring anything new but
the discussion is all about the interpretation of this effect and more
concrete: The validity of Bohr’s Principle of Complementarity:
Niels Bohr said:A single quantum mechanical entity (= photon, electron...) can either
behave as a particle or as wave, but never simultaneously as both.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complementarity_(physics)
So, Bohr said in 1927 that it's either wave or particle but never both
at the same time. At this time this was a change of mind for Bohr who
had opposed Einstein's idea of the photon as a quantum particle for
more than a decade:
www.springerlink.com/index/T0851U2611465V25.pdf
http://arxiv.org/PS_cache/physics/pdf/0212/0212090.pdf
The two papers should be seen in the light of this. The authors make
diametrically opposed claims:
The authors of the first experiment claim to show that the photon can
have simultaneous wave and particle properties and disagree with Bohr.
The authors of the second experiment hold on to Bohr and claim that
their experiment demonstrates that "In the present, one can change
something that has already happened in the past" Namely the decision
of the photon to behave as a particle, or, as a wave.
All authors agree that Bohr's principle of complementarity disagrees
with Einstein's ideas and his work on relativity. Both groups quote
Wheeler as if he agrees with their (opposite) claims in the conclusion
of their papers. Regards, Hans
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