Simulation of Afshar's double slit experiment

DOI10.1007/S10701-022-00585-7MaRDI QIDQ2158741zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Bret Gergely, Herman Batelaan

Publication date 26 July 2022

Published in Foundations of Physics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/2111.01220

zbMATH Keywords

complementaritydouble-slitAfshar experimenttransactional interpretation of quantum mechanicswhich-way

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

General and philosophical questions in quantum theory (81P05) Quantum measurement theory, state operations, state preparations (81P15) Path integrals in quantum mechanics (81S40) Mathematical modeling or simulation for problems pertaining to quantum theory (81-10)

Abstract: Shahriar S. Afshar claimed that his 2007 modified version of the double-slit experiment violates complementarity [1]. He makes two modifications to the standard double-slit experiment. First, he adds a wire grid that is placed in between the slits and the screen at locations of interference minima. The second modification is to place a converging lens just after the wire grid. The idea is that the wire grid implies the existence of interference minima(wave-like behavior), while the lens can simultaneously obtain which-way information (particle-like behavior). More recently, John G. Cramer [2] argued that the experiment bolstered the Transactional Interpretation of Quantum mechanics (TIQM). His argument scrutinizes Bohr's complementarity in favor of TIQM. We analyze this experiment by simulation using the path integral formulation of quantum mechanics [3] and find that it agrees with the wave particle duality relation given by Englert, Greenberg and Yasin (E-G-Y) [4, 5]. We conclude that the use of Afshar's experiment to provide a testbed for quantum mechanical interpretations is limited.

Recommendations

• Why the Afshar experiment does not refute complementarity
• Reply to comments of Steuernagel on the Afshar's experiment
• Afshar's experiment does not show a violation of complementarity
• Complementarity paradox solved: surprising consequences
• Transcendental versus quantitative meanings of Bohr's complementarity principle

Cites work

• Afshar's experiment does not show a violation of complementarity
• Complementarity paradox solved: surprising consequences
• Delayed-choice test of quantum complementarity with interfering single photons
• Paradox in wave-particle duality
• Path integrals, matter waves, and the double slit
• Reply to comments of Steuernagel on the Afshar's experiment
• The quantum handshake. Entanglement, nonlocality and transactions

Cited in

(6)

• Why the Afshar experiment does not refute complementarity
• Quantum particle diffraction by a classical method
• Reply to comments of Steuernagel on the Afshar's experiment
• Understanding modified two-slit experiments using path markers
• Logical analysis of the Bohr complementarity principle in Afshar's experiment under the NAFL interpretation
• Afshar's experiment does not show a violation of complementarity

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