Double Slit Experiment: Largest Size for Wave-Particle Duality

In summary, the probability of wave-particle duality occurring in the famous double slits experiment is always there, but the characteristics become undetectable if the Broglie wavelength becomes too small.
  • #1
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I know when they performed the famous double slits experiment they used either electrons, or photons.

I am trying to find out what is the largest size we could use (proton, molecule, etc) where the probability of wave-particle duality to occur in the experiment drops to something negligible (maybe 10%).
Thanks.
 
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  • #2
The probability is always there and is always 100%, but the characteristics become undetectable if the Broglie wavelength becomes too small.
So the corny answer is that you could throw around whole planets and still have wave-particle duality.

And we have to realize that finding a narrow slit for a big object to go through is kind of making this even harder !
 
  • #3
This experiment has been set up and reproduced in various guises many times and using various means.
In 2006 the first such experiment was successfully performed (that is the experiment yielded results consistent with quantum effects) by Yves Couder and Emmanuel Fort (in France) on a macroscopic object, that of an oil droplet of some number of atoms.
There is an upper, practical limit, however, due to the potential for an interaction occurring between the emission of the object and the detection on screen. This potential increases rapidly as the number of component parts (spatial volume they inhabit?) increases.
 
  • #4
I happened to have watch MIT OCW videos on QM. The Prof said that even bucky balls have been shown to show quantum characteristics. Pretty awesome!
 
  • #6
The subsequent work of Markus Arndt and his group has been even more remarkable. They went to molecules of up to 810 atoms: http://arxiv.org/abs/1310.8343
 
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  • #7
I thought I had read about something like that, but couldn't find the details!
Thanks, really amazing.
DrClaude said:
The subsequent work of Markus Arndt and his group has been even more remarkable. They went to molecules of up to 810 atoms: http://arxiv.org/abs/1310.8343
 

Related to Double Slit Experiment: Largest Size for Wave-Particle Duality

1. What is the double slit experiment?

The double slit experiment is a classic physics experiment that demonstrates the wave-particle duality of light. It involves a beam of light passing through two parallel slits and creating an interference pattern on a screen behind it.

2. How does the double slit experiment demonstrate wave-particle duality?

The interference pattern created in the double slit experiment shows that light behaves like a wave, with peaks and troughs interfering with each other. However, when the experiment is repeated with a detector at one of the slits, the pattern disappears, indicating that light also behaves like a particle.

3. What is the largest size for wave-particle duality?

There is no specific size limit for wave-particle duality. In fact, the experiment has been conducted with particles as large as buckyballs, which are composed of 60 carbon atoms.

4. Can the double slit experiment be performed with other particles besides light?

Yes, the double slit experiment has been successfully performed with other particles such as electrons, protons, and atoms. This further supports the concept of wave-particle duality.

5. What are the implications of the double slit experiment?

The double slit experiment challenges our traditional understanding of the nature of light and matter. It suggests that particles can exhibit contradictory behaviors and that our perception of reality may be limited by our observation methods. This experiment has also led to further research and developments in quantum mechanics.

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