Can a single-slit experiment demonstrate the particle nature of light?

Ashlyn Krause

Ashlyn Krause

Answered question

2022-07-17

Can a single-slit experiment demonstrate the particle nature of light?

Answer & Explanation

coolng90qo

coolng90qo

Beginner2022-07-18Added 14 answers

Light must be quantum because it interacts with single atoms and either has an effect or does not have an effect. It has to do that in a single place. It is established that this is because of the quantum nature of light and not the quantum nature of atoms.
But to create a two-slit interference pattern it must pass through both slits at once, so it has to be in two places. It must be a wave, and be everywhere.
Feynman resolved the paradox. Light is a particle and is in exactly one place at a time. But it has a probability function that travels like a wave, that decides the probability that the photon is in each place.
So a photon is a particle that appears in every possible way to travel exactly like a wave, except when it interacts with matter and acts like a particle.

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