The most beautiful experiment...

Crease, Robert P

doi:10.1088/2058-7058/15/5/23

Cited by 26 publications

(27 citation statements)

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“…This revolutionary concept has been repeatedly demonstrated in variations of Young's double-slit experiment, where a beam of massive particles, from electrons (1) to fullerenes (2), with momentum p e , passing through two slits separated by a distance comparable to their associated de Broglie wavelength (λ e ¼ h∕p e ) displays temporal and spatial coherence evidenced through interferogram fringes (3). In the 1960's, Cohen and Fano (4) conjectured the possibility to realize the double-slit experiment on the microscopic length scale by photoionizing a diatomic molecule, where the source of free electrons is delocalized over two atomic centers.…”

mentioning

confidence: 95%

Direct observation of Young’s double-slit interferences in vibrationally resolved photoionization of diatomic molecules

Canton

Plésiat

Bozek

et al. 2011

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

107

120

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Vibrationally resolved valence-shell photoionization spectra of H 2 , N 2 and CO have been measured in the photon energy range 20-300 eV using third-generation synchrotron radiation. Young's double-slit interferences lead to oscillations in the corresponding vibrational ratios, showing that the molecules behave as two-center electron-wave emitters and that the associated interferences leave their trace in the angle-integrated photoionization cross section. In contrast to previous work, the oscillations are directly observable in the experiment, thereby removing any possible ambiguity related to the introduction of external parameters or fitting functions. A straightforward extension of an original idea proposed by Cohen and Fano [Cohen HD, Fano U (1966) photoelectron spectroscopy | molecular spectroscopy | molecular ionization | density functional theory | quantum chemistry T he recognition of wave-particle duality, resolving centuries of scientific debate, is nowadays considered as a milestone in the development of Quantum Mechanics. This revolutionary concept has been repeatedly demonstrated in variations of Young's double-slit experiment, where a beam of massive particles, from electrons (1) to fullerenes (2), with momentum p e , passing through two slits separated by a distance comparable to their associated de Broglie wavelength (λ e ¼ h∕p e ) displays temporal and spatial coherence evidenced through interferogram fringes (3). In the 1960's, Cohen and Fano (4) conjectured the possibility to realize the double-slit experiment on the microscopic length scale by photoionizing a diatomic molecule, where the source of free electrons is delocalized over two atomic centers. A sketch of the interference expected from the coherent emission of the two centers is shown in Fig. 1.Coherence is observable when the electron-wave length λ e is of the order of R e , or equivalently, when the photon energy hν is of the order of I p þ h 2 ∕ð2m e R 2 e Þ, where R e is the internuclear distance at equilibrium, m e is the electron mass, and I p is the vertical ionization potential. These energies correspond to incoming photons of a few hundred eV, i.e., to vacuum or extreme ultraviolet radiation. Fingerprints of this coherent emission can be found in the total photoionization cross section, which in the case of a homonuclear diatomic molecule is approximately given by the formulawhere σ 0 is an atomic photoionization cross section (for an effective charge Z eff ) and k e ¼ 2π∕λ e is the electron-wave vector. The oscillatory term within brackets quantifies the interference effect (hereafter called Cohen-Fano, CF, interference). The beauty of such a simple expression is that it is proportional to the very general intensity pattern produced by two dipole antennas separated by a distance R e that radiate coherently (5). Eq. 1 is obtained by assuming that the ionized molecular orbital ψ can be expressed by a linear combination of atomic orbitals (LCAO):where 1s A and 1s B are identical 1s atomic orbitals centered on atoms A and B of...

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mentioning

confidence: 95%

Direct observation of Young’s double-slit interferences in vibrationally resolved photoionization of diatomic molecules

Canton

Plésiat

Bozek

et al. 2011

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

107

120

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“…Furthermore, the camera is a suitable apparatus for the well-known Young's interference experiment, which demonstrates the wave-particle duality of light visually and in real time. In fact, ''Young's double-slit experiment applied to the interference of single electrons'' was voted by scientists as ''the most beautiful experiment in physics'' [22], as it shows the essence and intrigue of quantum mechanics. We are planning a Young's interference experiment in the photon-counting region of our camera, which will be conducted by students in laboratories.…”

Section: Experimental Results Of Single-photon Detectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development of a single-photon-counting camera with use of a triple-stacked micro-channel plate

Yasuda

Suzuki²,

Katafuchi

2015

Radiol Phys Technol

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At the quantum-mechanical level, all substances (not merely electromagnetic waves such as light and X-rays) exhibit wave–particle duality. Whereas students of radiation science can easily understand the wave nature of electromagnetic waves, the particle (photon) nature may elude them. Therefore, to assist students in understanding the wave–particle duality of electromagnetic waves, we have developed a photon-counting camera that captures single photons in two-dimensional images. As an image intensifier, this camera has a triple-stacked micro-channel plate (MCP) with an amplification factor of 10(6). The ultra-low light of a single photon entering the camera is first converted to an electron through the photoelectric effect on the photocathode. The electron is intensified by the triple-stacked MCP and then converted to a visible light distribution, which is measured by a high-sensitivity complementary metal oxide semiconductor image sensor. Because it detects individual photons, the photon-counting camera is expected to provide students with a complete understanding of the particle nature of electromagnetic waves. Moreover, it measures ultra-weak light that cannot be detected by ordinary low-sensitivity cameras. Therefore, it is suitable for experimental research on scintillator luminescence, biophoton detection, and similar topics.

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“…They voted the following experiments as the top ten: (1) Young's double-slit experiment applied to the interference of single electrons; (2) Galileo's experiment on falling bodies (1600s); (3) Millikan's oil-drop experiment (1910s); (4) Newton's decomposition of sunlight with a prism (1665-1666); (5) Young's light-interference experiment (1801); (6) Cavendish's torsion-bar experiment (1798); (7) Eratosthenes's measurement of the Earth's circumference (3 rd century BC); (8) Galileo's experiments with rolling balls down inclined planes (1600s); (9) Rutherford's discovery of the nucleus (1911); and (10) Foucault's pendulum (1851). 2 Historian-philosopher Robert P. Crease, who proposed the survey, commented that: The double-slit experiment with electrons possesses all of the aspects of beauty most frequently mentioned by readers…. It is transformative, being able to convince even the most die-hard sceptics of the truth of quantum mechanics….…”

Section: The Most Beautiful Experiments In Physicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Merli–Missiroli–Pozzi Two-Slit Electron-Interference Experiment

Rosa

2012

Phys. Perspect.

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In 2002 readers of Physics World voted Young’s double-slit experiment with single electrons as “the most beautiful experiment in physics” of all time. Pier Giorgio Merli, Gian Franco Missiroli, and Giulio Pozzi carried out this experiment in a collaboration between the Italian Research Council and the University of Bologna almost three decades earlier. I examine their experiment, place it in historical context, and discuss its philosophical implications.

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The most beautiful experiment...

Cited by 26 publications

References 0 publications

Direct observation of Young’s double-slit interferences in vibrationally resolved photoionization of diatomic molecules

Direct observation of Young’s double-slit interferences in vibrationally resolved photoionization of diatomic molecules

Development of a single-photon-counting camera with use of a triple-stacked micro-channel plate

The Merli–Missiroli–Pozzi Two-Slit Electron-Interference Experiment

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