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arXiv:quant-ph/0104076 · Physical Review A

Analysis of a two-atom double-slit experiment based on environment-induced measurements

Christian Schön, Almut Beige

Published Jul 9, 2001• 47 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

To investigate the effect of the environment on a quantum-mechanical system we consider two two-level atoms in a free radiation field in the presence of a screen. By assuming that the screen causes continuous ideal measurements on the free radiation field we derive a quantum jump description for the state of the atoms. Our results are consistent with the master equation for dipole interacting atoms, but give more insight in the time evolution of a single system. To illustrate this we derive a necessary and sufficient criterion for interference in a two-atom double-slit experiment and analyze bunching in the statistics of photons emitted in a certain direction.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.64.023806

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To investigate the effect of the environment on a quantum-mechanical system we consider two two-level atoms in a free radiation field in the presence of a screen. By assuming that the screen causes continuous ideal measurements on the free radiation field we derive a quantum jump description for the state of the atoms. Our results are consistent with the master equation for dipole interacting atoms, but give more insight in the time evolution of a single system. To illustrate this we derive a necessary and sufficient criterion for interference in a two-atom double-slit experiment and analyze bunching in the statistics of photons emitted in a certain direction.
We study analytically the effect of the dipole-dipole interaction on the statistics of the fluorescent radiation emitted from a system of two two-level atoms resonantly driven by a coherent field. For some interatomic separations, an inhibition of fluorescence occurs, which is reminiscent of the recently discussed quantum-jump phenomenon in a single three-level atom. This is reflected in the behaviors of the intensity correlation function, Mandel's Q parameter, and the time-dependent fluorescence spectrum. It is argued that this quantum-jump-like behavior arises from the coupling between the symmetric states and the antisymmetric state caused by the dipole-dipole interaction.
This work proposes a novel variation of the double-slit experiment in which two different types of quantum particles — for example, electrons and photons — pass simultaneously through a shared double-slit apparatus. The primary objective is to test the hypothesis that the act of measurement may not only collapse the wave function of the observed particle, but could also influence the interference pattern of an unmeasured, co-propagating particle of a different type. In the proposed configuration, photons and electrons are emitted in synchrony and directed through the same set of slits. Immediately after the slits, a path-detecting measurement apparatus is applied only to one type of particle (e.g., photons), while the interference pattern of the other type (e.g., electrons) is recorded on a distant screen. The experiment is designed to explore whether the destruction of coherence through measurement is strictly local, or whether it can propagate to other particles through a shared medium, entangled fields, or an unknown interaction. If the unmeasured particle continues to display interference, this would support the locality of measurement effects. Conversely, if interference vanishes for both, it could indicate a more global or field-level decoherence process. This investigation aims to contribute new insights into the nature of quantum measurement, the role of observation, and the interdependence of coherent systems involving distinct particle species.
The causal quantum mechanics (i.e. Bohmian or de Broglie-Bohm or Bohm-de Broglie quantum mechanics) has made possible to calculate the trajectories of electrons in a typical double-slit experiment [C. Philippidis et al., Il Nuovo Cimento, 52 B, 15-28 (1979)]. The trajectories do not correspond to an uniform movement but to an accelerated one. The acceleration is caused by the quantum potential. From the quantum theoretical point of view, there is a probability for the electron to emit photons, with a certain emission power, during its movement from the slits to the screen. We find a quantum general formula for the emission power of photons, valid independently of the interpretation. Then, according to the Copenhagen interpretation, this formula gives a strictly zero value for the emission power because the electron moves as a free particle after it leaves the slit and before reach the screen. Then, there is no emission of photons. In the case of the causal interpretation, the emission power results, for a concrete real experiment, in a very tiny but not a zero value, driven by the square of the quantum potential gradient. We give an idea of the type of spectrum that could be measured. A brief idea of a possible experimental arrangement in order to detect this effect, is given.
The Bohm-de Broglie quantum mechanics has made possible to calculate the trajectories of electrons in a typical double-slit experiment[C. Philippidis et al., Il Nuovo Cimento, 52 B, 15-28 (1979)]. The trajectories do not correspond to an uniform movement but to an accelerated one. The acceleration is caused by the quantum potential. From the quantum theoretical point of view, the accelerated electrons should, with a certain probabil-ity, emit photons during its movement from the slits to the screen. According to the Copenhagen interpretation we found that this quantity is strictly zero because the electron moves as a free particle along its path after it leaves the slit and before reach the screen. Then, there is no emission of photons. On the other hand, by using the Bohm-de Broglie (BdB) approach we calculate the emission power, giving a general formula and which results, for a concrete real experiment, in a very tiny but not a vanishing value. We give an idea of the type of spectrum that could be measured. Therefore we have shown that the theoretical predictions of the usual quan-tum mechanics and that of Bohm-de Broglie’s interpretation are different. An experiment could determine the correct prediction.
This note starts with a recapitulation of what people call the ``Measurement Problem'' of Quantum Mechanics (QM). The dissipative nature of the quantum-mechanical time-evolution of averages of states over large ensembles of identical isolated systems consisting of matter interacting with the radiation field is discussed and shown to correspond to a stochastic time-evolution of states of individual systems. The importance of dissipation for the successful completion of measurements is highlighted. To conclude, a solution of the ``Measurement Problem'' is sketched in an idealized model of a double-slit experiment.