- #1
Euthan
- 6
- 4
In a double-slit experiment, if a beam of photons is fired, an interference pattern composed of photons will result. But, if photons are fired one at a time, an interference pattern will still result. Why is this? The only explanation that I've seen is that the photon interferes with itself. I was talking to a retired-physicist a couple of months ago, and he supported this popular explanation by saying that an interference pattern will only result if the slits are a certain distance away from each other. That strongly implies that the photon is interfering with itself in a wave-like manner, more specifically, it strongly implies that the distance between the slits causes the single photons to undergo destructive, and constructive interference. Thus, even if we fire photons one at a time, an interference pattern will still result, because of the distance between the slits, and ultimately because every single photon does interfere with itself. I conceded to him that this fact alone is strong evidence in favor of the "photon interfering with itself" explanation.
But I think I have a good reason to reject this commonly accepted explanation. I think the explanation of his actually contradicts QM, for it implies that photons are split. If a photon is actually going through both slits, while undergoing destructive, and constructive interference, then that means that the photon is splitting, correct? That is one of my questions. My second question is: is there a better explanation than the "photon interfering with itself" explanation? My third question is: what would it mean for a photon, or electron to interfere with itself?
But I think I have a good reason to reject this commonly accepted explanation. I think the explanation of his actually contradicts QM, for it implies that photons are split. If a photon is actually going through both slits, while undergoing destructive, and constructive interference, then that means that the photon is splitting, correct? That is one of my questions. My second question is: is there a better explanation than the "photon interfering with itself" explanation? My third question is: what would it mean for a photon, or electron to interfere with itself?