Critique of Wave-Particle Duality of Single-Photons

Argument structure in explaining wave-particle duality of photons in double-slit experiment

“…It is noteworthy that blocks IF and FP appear strong as sending nodes but also as receiving nodes; they are thus important nodes in transmitting information in argumentation as represented in the form of DAGs. This is in good agreement with how the double slit experiment of feeble light is discussed in research literature (see e.g., Bhatta, 2021;Rueckner & Titcomb, 1996), where many discussions focus on interference (IF) and fringe patterns (FP). It is also expected that if IF or FP receive attention, experimental aspects XD, Xs and Xd should also be important.…”

“…The nodes Wa and Pa capture more moderated ways where different analogies or analogical features of photons or their behavior to waves or particles (Wa and Pa, respectively) are mentioned. It should be noted that while waveparticle duality is not necessarily central to a contemporary understanding of the single photon experiments and the interference phenomena encountered in them (Bhatta, 2021), it is assumed to be central to introductory discussions of photons (Bøe & Viefers, 2023;Bungum et al, 2018). Taken together, the results in Figures 3 and 4 suggest that DAGs a-d, e, f and i represent good and coherent arguments, where the flow of information is as could be expected from didactically recommendable argument structure.…”

“…In the experiment, it is possible to observe single, random detection events and accumulation of interference fringes when several events are aggregated. Although the experiment is not a true single photon interference experiment (see e.g., Bhatta, 2021;Hentschel, 2018), it can be used to emulate single photon interference for the purposes of instruction. The task consists of providing arguments for: 1) what one needs to assume about the behavior of photons in a slit-system when only one slit is open or when both slits are open; and 2) how to interpret the gradual formation of interference fringes when several detection events accumulate.…”

“…These we call thematic blocks. Thematic blocks are decided on the basis of what is known about the acceptable arguments and sub-arguments in the case of the given task of double-slit experiments with feeble light (see e.g., Ayene et al, 2019;Cheong & Song, 2014;Rueckner & Titcomb, 1996) and how it has been discussed from the viewpoint of conceptual analysis (Bhatta, 2021;Hentschel, 2018). The research literature about the double-slit experiments and single photon interference thus guides which connections between different thematic blocks we take to be potentially relevant or possible.…”

Quantum Mechanics: Statistical Balance Prompts Caution in Assessing Conceptual Implications

“…References to “wave-particle duality”, in this and related contexts, are often imprecise, inappropriate or both [ 97 , 98 ]. This is partly because there are several unresolved challenges in the efforts to characterize the concept of “particle”‘ in quantum mechanics [ 34 ] (Section 2.4.4) [ 98 ] (fn. 10, Section 6) [ 99 , 100 , 101 ] [ 102 ] (pp.…”