Finally making sense of the double-slit experiment

Siddhant Das, Dirk-André Deckert, Leopold Kellers +2 more

Yakir Aharonov, Eliahu Cohen, Fabrizio Colombo +4 more

]. We rise to the challenge with an alternative to the wave function-centered interpretations: instead of a quantum wave passing through both slits, we have a localized particle with nonlocal interactions with the other slit. Key to this explanation is dynamical nonlocality, which naturally appears in the Heisenberg picture as nonlocal equations of motion. This insight led us to develop an approach to quantum mechanics which relies on pre- and postselection, weak measurements, deterministic, and modular variables. We consider those properties of a single particle that are deterministic to be primal. The Heisenberg picture allows us to specify the most complete enumeration of such deterministic properties in contrast to the Schrödinger wave function, which remains an ensemble property. We exercise this approach by analyzing a version of the double-slit experiment augmented with postselection, showing that only it and not the wave function approach can be accommodated within a time-symmetric interpretation, where interference appears even when the particle is localized. Although the Heisenberg and Schrödinger pictures are equivalent formulations, nevertheless, the framework presented here has led to insights, intuitions, and experiments that were missed from the old perspective.

Edward G. Lake

Hui Peng

Young’s double slit experiment is the mystery of the quantum mechanics (Feynman). To explore the mystery, the double slit experiments have been extended to cross double slit experiments. In this article, utilize the fact that each slit of the cross double slit (e.g., one double slit crossing another double slit) is divided into three segments by other two slits crossing, we experimentally show the function of each segment of each slit in producing both non-interference patterns (including Pre-Particle patterns, Particle patterns and Transition Patterns) and the Interference patterns by eliminate the segments respectively and then, compare with the standard patterns of the cross double slit experiment. Although the non-interference patterns of different modified cross double slits are obviously different, the final interference patterns are surprisingly similar. This phenomenon is a new mystery and needs a consistent theoretical interpretation. In the case of applying the interference patterns of the cross double slit diaphragms, this phenomenon allows a bigger tolerance on the defect of making the cross double slit diaphragm.

G. Coddens

We argue that the double-slit experiment can be understood much better by considering it as an experiment whereby one uses electrons to study the set-up rather than an experiment whereby we use a set-up to study the behaviour of electrons. We also show how the concept of undecidability can be used in an intuitive way to make sense of the double-slit experiment and the quantum rules for calculating coherent and incoherent probabilities. We meet here a situation where the electrons always behave in a fully deterministic way (following Einstein's conception of reality), while the detailed design of the set-up may render the question about the way they move through the set-up experimentally undecidable (which follows more Bohr's conception of reality). We show that the expression $ψ_{1} + ψ_{2}$ for the wave function of the double-slit experiment is numerically correct, but logically flawed. It has to be replaced in the interference region by the logically correct expression $ψ'_{1} + ψ'_{2}$, which has the same numerical value as $ψ_{1} + ψ_{2}$, such that $ψ'_{1} + ψ'_{2} = ψ_{1} + ψ_{2}$, but with $ψ'_{1} = {ψ_{1} +ψ_{2}\over{\sqrt{2}}} \,e^{\imath {π\over{4}}} \neq ψ_{1}$ and $ψ'_{2} = {ψ_{1} +ψ_{2}\over{\sqrt{2}}}\,e^{-\imath {π\over{4}}}\neq ψ_{2}$. Here $ψ'_{1}$ and $ψ'_{2}$ are the correct contributions from the slits to the total wave function $ψ'_{1} + ψ'_{2}$. We have then $p = |ψ'_{1} + ψ'_{2}|^{2} = |ψ'_{1}|^{2} + |ψ'_{2}|^{2} = p_{1}+p_{2} $ such that the paradox that quantum mechanics (QM) would not follow the traditional rules of probability calculus disappears.

José Antonio Lammardo