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Interference or Occupancy at a Double-Slit Dark Fringe: Aperture Transmission and Downstream Detection

Alan Roberto Sebastián Lagunas

Published Oct 3, 2026• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

This paper presents the 2013 double-slit experiment "Particle Solution to the Double Slit Experiment" (University of Arizona), together with a more rigorous 2026 reconstruction of the same test. Part I reproduces the original study verbatim. A slit was cut at a dark fringe on Screen 1 and the light was measured on Screen 2 behind it. The detector current behind the dark fringe was 1.4 mA, equal to the 1.4 mA laser-off noise. The result was interpreted as supporting the particle view. Part II specifies a high-precision modular protocol designed to discriminate between dark-fringe occupancy and interference: a common baseline (Module 0), the Screen-1 dark-fringe profile (A), an aperture-width series (B), Screen-2 profiles behind dark and bright apertures (C), an offset scan (D), and a closure map (E). The standard optical-field prediction is frozen before acquisition. If no light is observed on Screen 2 behind the dark-fringe aperture while the bright control transmits, the particle view is supported. If two fringes appear, matching the frozen template, the wave view is supported. Status: Part I includes the original 2013 detector readings. Part II is a prospective protocol; no data have been acquired under it. Files: manuscript (PDF), LaTeX source, supplementary forward model (double_slit_field_model.py), and example configuration (asbuilt_example.json), which reproduces the illustrative values in Section II.12.

DOI
10.5281/zenodo.23114292

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This paper presents the 2013 double-slit experiment "Particle Solution to the Double Slit Experiment" (University of Arizona), together with a more rigorous 2026 reconstruction of the same test. Part I reproduces the original study verbatim. A slit was cut at a dark fringe on Screen 1 and the light was measured on Screen 2 behind it. The detector current behind the dark fringe was 1.4 mA, equal to the 1.4 mA laser-off noise. The result was interpreted as supporting the particle view. Part II specifies a high-precision modular protocol designed to discriminate between dark-fringe occupancy and interference: a common baseline (Module 0), the Screen-1 dark-fringe profile (A), an aperture-width series (B), Screen-2 profiles behind dark and bright apertures (C), an offset scan (D), and a closure map (E). The standard optical-field prediction is frozen before acquisition. If no light is observed on Screen 2 behind the dark-fringe aperture while the bright control transmits, the particle view is supported. If two fringes appear, matching the frozen template, the wave view is supported. Status: Part I includes the original 2013 detector readings. Part II is a prospective protocol; no data have been acquired under it. Files: manuscript (PDF), LaTeX source, supplementary forward model (double_slit_field_model.py), and example configuration (asbuilt_example.json), which reproduces the illustrative values in Section II.12.
We know that bright fringes on the observation-screen is the Fourier transform of light intensity that passes through diffraction slit (aperture) and we know according to Parseval and Rayleigh Theorems the power or energy of a function before and after Fourier transform is not changed that means the total intensity of light emerging slits is equal to the total intensity of bright fringes on the observation screen, but on the other hand according to destructive and constructive interference of light, some portions of the light passing through the slits destructively interfere to constitute dark fringes which means the total light intensity of fringes should be less than the total intensity passing through the slit. This is a violation of the Fourier transform. On the other hand, this paper is augmented by some very new experiments which show there are no photons in the dark fringes. A diffraction experiment by sticking narrow and small width mirrors on the dark fringes that according to the classical interpretation after destructive interference on the dark fringes should be reflected and could be found by sensors at other directions (specially reflection angle) and another experiment that by making a 1mm hole in the middle of the first dark fringe, we expect that photons can be detected by the light detector after destructive interference (passing through one another) behind the observation plan but no photon is detected. Finally, this paper provides a complete physical model associated with mathematical analysis and formulation that is based on the Schrödinger equation. This model answers to single Photon (electron) double-slit experiment with a high degree of accuracy.
Based on the basic version of the Double-slit experiment, a coherent light source, such as a laser beam, illuminates a plate pierced by two parallel slits, and the light passing through the slits is observed on a screen behind the plate.The wave nature of light causes the light waves passing through the two slits to interfere, producing bright and dark bands on the screen — a result that would not be expected if light consisted of classical particles. Our new variant is as below: We shut one of the two parallel slits once the light passed the slits. Or we keep the two slits shutting and opening randomly in high speed. We believe this variant experiment could lead to a farther fundamental understanding of the Quantum Mechanics.
In 1801, Thomas Young devised what is now known as the Classical Double Slit Experiment. In this experiment, light waves emanating from two separate sources, interfere to form a pattern of alternating bright and dark fringes on a distant screen. By measuring the position of individual fringe centers, the fringe widths and the variation of average light intensity on the screen, it is possible to compute the wavelength of light itself. The original theoretical analysis of the experiment employs a set of geometric assumptions which are collectively referred to here as the Parallel Ray Approximation. Accordingly, any two rays of light arising from either source and convergent on an arbitrary point on the screen, are considered very nearly parallel to each other in the vicinity of the sources. This approximation holds true only when the screen to source distance is very large and the inter-source distance is much larger than the wavelength of light. The predictions that naturally follow are valid only for fringes located near the center of the screen (e.g. the equal spacing of fringes). But for those fringes located further away from the screen center, the precision of these predictions rapidly wanes. Also when the screen to source distance is comparable to the inter-source separation or when the inter-source distance is comparable to the wavelength of light, the original analysis is no longer applicable. In this paper, the theoretical foundations of Young’s experiment are re-formulated using a newly derived analytical equation of a hyperbola, which forms the locus of the points of intersections of two expanding circular wavefronts (with sources located at the respective centers of expansion). The ensuing predictions of the new analysis are compared with those of the old. And finally, it is shown that the latter approach is just a special instance of the former, when the Parallel Ray Approximation can be said to hold true.
Abstract: Because the experiments rely only on basic geometrical optics, they are accessible to readers with standard high-school physics training, enabling independent replication and critical evaluation without the need for specialized expertise or authoritative interpretation.The phenomenon of light interference, often regarded as a cornerstone of wave optics, is rarely observed in everyday life. This paper revisits the classic double-slit experiment and demonstrates that its results are not a true representation of wave interference, but rather a technological artifact designed to produce alternating light and dark fringes. Through a series of rigorous experiments, we show that the observed patterns in the double-slit setup lack scientific universality and cannot be generalized to real-world light behavior. A simple triangular phase formula is introduced to demonstrate that white light cannot sustain phase relationships, fundamentally challenging the traditional wave-based explanations. Instead, the experiments support the pulse particle theory of light, which posits that light behaves as discrete pulses rather than continuous waves. This new perspective on light has profound implications, particularly in the field of optical communication. By understanding light as pulses, we open up new avenues for advancements in technologies like laser communication, offering fresh approaches to addressing challenges in speed, efficiency, and signal transmission.An earlier version of this work was submitted to Optica Open Preprints (DOI: 10.1364/opticaopen.27255981). At the time of writing, the corresponding author is unable to access the preprint record or associated PDF due to a 403 (Forbidden) access restriction, including when logged in as the submitting author. A request for clarification has been sent to the platform. This OSF record is maintained to ensure continued accessibility and transparency of the scholarly record.