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An international research team led by physicists from Collaborative Research Centre 1238, 'Control and Dynamics of Quantum Materials' at the University of Cologne has implemented a new variant of the basic double-slit experiment using resonant inelastic X-ray scattering at the European Synchrotron ESRF in Grenoble. This new variant offers a deeper understanding of the electronic structure of solids. Writing in Science Advances, the research group have now presented their results under the title 'Resonant inelastic x-ray incarnation of Young's double-slit experiment'.
The double-slit experiment is of fundamental importance in physics. More than 200 years ago, Thomas Young diffracted light at two adjacent slits, thus generating interference patterns (images based on superposition) behind this double slit. That way, he demonstrated the wave character of light. In the 20th century, scientists have shown that electrons or molecules scattered on a double slit show the same interference pattern, which contradicts the classical expectation of particle behaviour, but can be explained in quantum-mechanical wave-particle dualism. In contrast, the researchers in Cologne investigated an iridium oxide crystal (Ba3CeIr2O9) by means of resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS).
The crystal is irradiated with strongly collimated, high-energy X-ray photons. The X-rays are scattered by the iridium atoms in the crystal, which take over the role of the slits in Young's classical experiment. Due to the rapid technical development of RIXS and a skilful choice of crystal structure, the physicists were now able to observe the scattering on two adjacent iridium atoms, a so-called dimer.
'The interference pattern tells us a lot about the scattering object, the dimer double slit', says Professor Markus Grueninger, who heads the research group at the University of Cologne. In contrast to the classical double-slit experiment, the inelastically scattered X-ray photons provide information about the excited states of the dimer, in particular their symmetry, and thus about the dynamic physical properties of the solid.
Resonant inelastic x-ray incarnation of Young’s double-slit experiment (open, DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aav4020) (DX)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 22 2019, @04:36PM (6 children)
I have seen lots of demos and fancy videos depicting this experiment all over the internet (double slit when one slit is 'observed', breaking the interference pattern) but never a video showing the actual experiment itself ever being performed, despite extensive searching for this.
Does anyone know where this can be found?
(note, this is not the simple 'double slit', but a double slit experiment where it is 'observed' which slit the electrons (or photons) pass through). Talked about all the time, but can't find the actual original work or a real-world video demo of it
(Score: 2) by Dr Spin on Tuesday January 22 2019, @08:10PM
Does anyone know where this can be found?
It can't - the whole point of the experiment is that it demonstrates that [many most all] very small "objects" are neither particles nor waves, but have a property set that overlap both. This phenomenon can not be observed at macroscopic scale. (Partly because it is very difficult to construct slits on the scale needed and to throw planets through them at the necessary velocity).
The biggest implication is that only people with boggle-proof minds can become nuclear physicists. its is also true that fake news can be readily observed in Internet space.
Warning: Opening your mouth may invalidate your brain!
(Score: 2) by EvilSS on Tuesday January 22 2019, @08:46PM
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 23 2019, @04:29AM
Why not just do it yourself [google.com]?
(Score: 2) by EvilSS on Wednesday January 23 2019, @07:18PM
(Score: 2) by pvanhoof on Thursday January 24 2019, @03:28PM (1 child)
I think you can with a laser pointer and a sheet of paper get pretty far. Some ideas here https://www.instructables.com/id/How-To-Make-a-Simple-Double-Slit/ [instructables.com]
The size of the slits can be quite wide if the source of light is also relatively far away, or something.
But I'm not a Phd on the subject like others have suggested we need to be to understand this paper ;-)
(Score: 1) by DmT on Monday January 28 2019, @05:49PM
So what would be the cheapest laser pointer from China that I can use for this experiment? Is $1 enough or should I buy the more expensive $2 pointer?:)