Wave Particle Duality and Quantum

Mechanics
Hi guys once again, Umair Ahmed at your service. So in the last two articles we got a gist, an
intuition of what quantum mechanics is. It was a bit philosophical but in this article, we are
returning towards the more technical side. I am going to explain an experiment that is
considered as quantum weirdness You can say the phenomena that occurs in the experiment
is somewhat difficult to comprehend and cannot be explained through existing theories or laws
anymore. And that is why quantum theories are given to understand these types of things. Can
you guys believe it? There is still something weirder than Broglies matter waves.
If you guys are like me and have read a little bit about quantum mechanics, you might still be
thinking what is the problem? Whats the need for this new quantum theory? What is going on
that we cant explain it with existing laws that theories like Many World Interpretation came? IF
there are still questions like these in your mind then this article might help answer your
questions.It was not until I started researching to write these articles that I came upon this
interesting experiment. An experiment that will force your mind to think How the hell is it
happening? Youll think its a magic show but it isnt. Its really happening. So lets start quick.
The experiment goes by the name Quantum Double Slit Experiment. Its just the same
double slit experiment if you know that, with just a little bit of modifications. For those who are
completely new to it let me give a brief explanation. Double Slit experiment was first performed
by Thomas Young to prove the wave nature of light.

The experiment contains a single source of light. There is a sheet with 2 slits in it (hence the
name) and at the end is a screen (a fluorescent one). What happens is when light passes
through the 2 slits, each slit act as a single source of light, now the waves coming out of the 2
slits can interfere with each other. Technically the condition for interference is that both the
waves must be coherent i.e. the phase difference must be constant and the frequency must be
same. (That's why we made those 2 slits to make sure they are in phase) Depending on the
distance traveled by the 2 waves, by the time they reach the fluorescent screen they will either
interfere constructively which shows a light band on the screen or interfere destructively in
which no band is produced or in other words a dark band can be seen. Note the points named
as "max" in the pic above are where both the waves intersect. Similarly in the last gif the white
line that's moving is showing where the 2 wave front will intersect. Note how the light bands
appear at those positions. How did it prove the wave nature you say? Well interference can only
happen in waves. When two waves come in contact with each other they will superpose, if they

are coherent then they will produce interference bands (particles cant superpose hence there
isnt any interference).
I'd advise watching this video. It's really helpful.
So lets see the changes we did in the quantum version of the above experiment. We reduced
the quantity of light such that there is only 1 electron passing through the slits and striking at the
screen at a time. See the video. So what do you think, should there be an interference pattern
or not? Well there shouldnt be any as electron is a particle, a particle cant interfere with itself?
But wait a second, according to De Broglie, electrons are waves hence there should be an
interference pattern. It turns out that is what happens, we see interference pattern. Weird you
are thinking? But weird is yet to come. If we place a detector, say a light that flashes or
anything through which can detect through which slit an electron passes through *poof* the
interference pattern disappears just like a magic trick. The electrons just pass through the slit
and each time they make a random, bizarre pattern.
You may be thinking Hey isnt this The Observer Effect ? The act of measurement did
something to the system. Well yes it is. So how do we comprehend this problem? Well Ill be
discussing Copenhagen Interpretation and well explore how it interprets this situation.
The Copenhagen Interpretation was given by Bohr, Heisenberg and their colleagues. In order to
understand it let's first understand what the term wave-function means. Schrodingers wave
equation has a thing called wave-function. This wave-function is of a whole system rather than
of every particle. It defines a quantum state of the system. Schrodingers equation determines
how this wave-function of the system evolves in time. In technical terms the equation gives the
deterministic time evolution of the system. Solving this equation gives us a complex wavefunction technically called probability amplitude. Now Max Born in 1925 gave a principle named
as Born Rule according to which if you square probability amplitude, youll get the probability
that the measurement will take a specific value (technically you get probability density. Itll make
sense if you have read statistics). If you are thinking if the equation gives deterministic time
evolution, how come its giving probability? The thing is it can determine what the probability
density regions are i.e. In what region the measurement will yield a value but not determine a
single specific value.
If this went over your head, dont fret, so according to Copenhagen Interpretation the wavefunction of a system exists in a superposition of states. When an external interaction is made by
the observer/apparatus or we somehow record a state of the system, it causes the system, from
a superposition of states, to PROBABILISTICALLY fall in any one of the state. The technical
term for this phenomenon is collapse i.e. the act of observing causes the wave-function to
collapse from a superposition of 2 or more states to a single state. Do note that it's not required
that we should be conscious an apparatus recording the state is enough. Hence the
"consciousness causes collapse" theory is pretty much rejected by every one according to
which consciousness is a must for the collapse to happen
Before we proceed let's clear what an electron really is. Is it a particle, or a wave, or both? So
far weve read its both. But now we consider it to be neither. I dont know what it actually is (I

havent read that far) Its said that its something else that sometimes acts as a wave and
sometimes acts as a particle. I think it's somewhat a wave, not an ordinary wave but a
probability wave, i.e. in each point in space it has some sort of probability (maybe that's the
probability density regions we get according to Born's rule). Maybe that's why i've read the
quantum object as a quantum wave in some places. Never mind, the point was that Ill refer to
electron as a quantum object that can behave as waves or particles.
Now Im still a little weak as I dont know exactly what does this theory mean. But a layman like
me interprets it as in the experiment above the quantum object (electron) has certain
probabilities that it will be found at specific positions on the screen. So its in a superposition of
states (that is what quantum superposition is) however when we measure/observe through
which slit its going through we are actually pinning the object down. Suppose we observed it
passed through the first slit. This causes two things. First it causes a wave-function collapse. All
the other probabilities i.e. probability of appearing at the screen at different positions disappear.
The quantum object travels through the observed slit and strikes the screen. Do note that this
selection of the spot on the screen was totally random. The quantum object could have been at
a different position despite traveling through the same slit.
Secondly since we are measuring the position, we are pinning the object down to a single
location it causes the quantum object to be registered as particle (Waves dont have a single
position) Now although it could act as a wave but since our observation has caused it to be
registered as a particle, the results of consequent experiments will show particle behavior. That
is why interference disappears
Lastly if we dont observe at all, the object passes through both the slits hence its fulfilling all
those probabilities of appearing at the screen at different positions. Its in a state of
superposition (Thats what Heisenberg was talking about. The path is created when we observe.
If we dont there is no path its simply everywhere) But as soon as the object reaches the screen
and strikes it, it becomes a particle as we have pinpointed it and the probability of the object
somewhere else disappears. Suppose the object has the probability P1, P2 and P3 to appear at
3 different locations but as soon as it reaches the screen it'll either be at one of these positions
lets say 1 so the probability of appearing at 2 and 3 disappears. This effect happens instantly at
superluminal speed (Faster than light aka FTL). That's why Einstein opposed it as it defied his
Principle of Locality according to which information couldn't be send/received faster than light.
Einstein referred to this wave function collapse as "spooky action at a distance".
There were many objections to this interpretation. One of the most important is the
measurement problem which revolves around questions like how does the wave-function which
was continuously and deterministically evolving through time according to Schrodinger equation
suddenly (discontinuously) and probabilistically collapses to any single state? How does
determinism transitions into indeterminism. What is a measuring apparatus in true sense? What
is the boundary between a measuring apparatus and a quantum system since the apparatus is
also made up of the same fundamental particles. Why dont we see macroscopic superposition?
And most of all this interpretation implied that nature is fundamentally non-deterministic. This

would mean that everything is totally random and doesnt have a fixed path/value whatever. This
troubled Einstein who favored determinism and in a letter to Max Born wrote:
Quantum mechanics is certainly imposing. But an inner voice tells me that it is not yet
the real thing. The theory says a lot, but does not really bring us any closer to the secret
of the "old one." I, at any rate, am convinced that HE does not throw dice.
So in the next article Im thinking of discussing the Many World Interpretation (MWI) And as
always thanks for reading.

References:
You can find all my articles on this forum. (Username is Eternal Blizzard)
http://www.pakgamers.com/forums/f84/