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Journal of Physics Conference Series

Retention of a Double Slit Single Photon Interference Demonstration of Particle-Wave Duality

Ed van den Berg, Hajo Brandt, Aernout van Rossum, Jan T. van der Veen

Published May 1, 2021• 2 citations

Abstract

Abstract In the past there has been great faith in the power of laboratory activities and teacher demonstrations to enhance the learning of physics concepts. However, reviews of the effectiveness turned out to be disappointing [1-3] and have shown that lab activities and demonstrations need to be carefully designed and embedded in lessons to realize cognitive benefits [4]. Nevertheless, for secondary school quantum physics we developed a portable double slit demonstration mounted in a suitcase in which photons pass the slits approximately one by one and yet together produce an interference pattern. Based on experiences in 5 schools, we carefully designed the educational aspects of the demonstration and investigated its longterm learning effects through a written test of 68 students after 4 weeks and retention interviews after 4 months (10 interviews) and after 9 months (5 interviews). Students did remember the setup and results of the demonstration quite well. They were quite aware of the unexpected and strange wave-particle behavior of quantum particles in the demonstration including the effect of measurement or observation on the outcomes. However, half of them still had trouble defining duality in their own words and most of them did not remember de Broglie particle waves and how that related to the double slit experiment.

DOI: 10.1088/1742-6596/1929/1/012049

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Abstract In the past there has been great faith in the power of laboratory activities and teacher demonstrations to enhance the learning of physics concepts. However, reviews of the effectiveness turned out to be disappointing [1-3] and have shown that lab activities and demonstrations need to be carefully designed and embedded in lessons to realize cognitive benefits [4]. Nevertheless, for secondary school quantum physics we developed a portable double slit demonstration mounted in a suitcase in which photons pass the slits approximately one by one and yet together produce an interference pattern. Based on experiences in 5 schools, we carefully designed the educational aspects of the demonstration and investigated its longterm learning effects through a written test of 68 students after 4 weeks and retention interviews after 4 months (10 interviews) and after 9 months (5 interviews). Students did remember the setup and results of the demonstration quite well. They were quite aware of the unexpected and strange wave-particle behavior of quantum particles in the demonstration including the effect of measurement or observation on the outcomes. However, half of them still had trouble defining duality in their own words and most of them did not remember de Broglie particle waves and how that related to the double slit experiment.

A lesson series on quantum physics was taught to grade 12 students in 5 different secondary schools. Among others, the series contained a special demonstration experiment for particle-wave duality (double-slit single-photon interference) which was supplemented by the PhET applet quantum wave interference. Preconceptions on particles and waves were assessed in a pretest. Interviews were conducted with 24 students in 4 schools after the demonstration. A posttest was administered to 112 students in 3 schools. Some lessons were observed by an outside observer and/or videotaped, followed by interviews. Results indicate that learning objectives of quantum physics are well within reach of the 12th grade students. This shows especially in student discussions of the PhET applet. However, understanding of wave-particle duality is hindered by insufficient understanding of the prerequisite wave concept that waves are spread out in space. Most students associated a wave with an oscillation and somehow forgot about the spatial aspects. As a consequence, the “strangeness” of wave-particle duality was underappreciated. Also, the link with the de Broglie wavelength discussed early in the lesson series was not made. As in the 5th school quantum physics started several weeks later, we were able to try an improved lesson design for the demonstration successfully. Interviews are very helpful in catching misinterpretations of demonstrations and generating suggestions for improvement. Students do appreciate the confusing wonders of quantum physics but in the post-interviews seem unaware of the many quantum-based devices around them and the many everyday phenomena (like color) which need quantum physics for explanation. Perhaps as teachers and curriculum developers, we are too eager to overemphasize the exotic and strange aspects of quantum theory and underemphasize utility in everyday applications.

The double-slit experiment strikingly demonstrates the wave-particle duality of quantum objects. In this famous experiment, particles pass one-by-one through a pair of slits and are detected on a distant screen. A distinct wave-like pattern emerges after many discrete particle impacts as if each particle is passing through both slits and interfering with itself. Here we present a temporally- and spatially-resolved measurement of the double-slit interference pattern using single photons. We send single photons through a birefringent double-slit apparatus and use a linear array of single-photon detectors to observe the developing interference pattern. The analysis of the buildup allows us to compare quantum mechanics and the corpuscular model, which aims to explain the mystery of single-particle interference. Finally, we send one photon from an entangled pair through our double-slit setup and show the dependence of the resulting interference pattern on the twin photon's measured state. Our results provide new insight into the dynamics of the buildup process in the double-slit experiment, and can be used as a valuable resource in quantum information applications.

We report observations of Cross-Double-Slit Experiment and Which-Path-Cross-Double-Slit experiment. Cross-Double-Slit apparatus contains two double-slit, where first double-slit is perpendicular to second double-slit. The first double-slit and the second double-slit generate not only their own interference pattern perpendicular to each other, but also generate “Cross-interference-patterns”. When we do which-way experiment with one of two double-slit, say first double-slit, then its interference pattern disappeared, i.e., photons behave as particles; but the second double-slit’s interference pattern and the cross-interference-pattern still exist; which implies an significant phenomenon that in the same experiment, photons behave as both wave and particle, which is first time caught on film. Thus we suggest to re-study wave-particle duality, which is the basic mystery of quantum mechanics. We postulate that the particle nature of photons is intrinsic; while the wave-like of photons is manifest-behavior.