Abstract
The purpose of this work is to carry out a systematic, detailed analytical study, together with the direct interpretations, as they follow from the analytical expressions obtained, of three basic “experiments” which have been classical examples in our understanding of quantum mechanics. The experiments considered are: the single- and double-slit (-hole) experiments, and the final one, which, in particular, deals with the situation where a particle is “reflected off” the detection screen in the single-slit experiment. Special emphasis is put on pointing out some purely quantum mechanical results, which follow from the analytical expressions, as well as on making a comparison with classical physics. Needless to say, the analysis of such experiments has been extremely important in laying the foundations of quantum physics.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
R. P. Feynman and A. R. Hibbs,Quantum Mechanics and Path Integrals (McGraw-Hill, New York, 1965); R. P. Feynman, R. B. Leighton and M. Sands,The Feynman Lectures on Physics, Vol. III (Addison-Wesley, Reading, Massachusetts, 1965).
R. P. Feynman,QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter (Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, 1985).
E. B. Manoukian,Nuovo Cimento 99B, 133 (1987),100B, 185 (1987).
G. N. Watson,Theory of Bessel Functions (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1944).
M. Born and E. Wolf,Principles of Optics, 5th edn. (Pergamon Press, Oxford, 1975).
E. Worlf,Proc. Roy. Soc. A 204, 533 (1951).
J. B. M. Uffink and J. Hilgevoord,Found. Phys. 15, 925 (1985).
Y. Yabuki,Int. J. Theor. Phys. 25, 159 (1986).
C. J. Bouwkamp,Rep. Prog. Phys. 17, 35 (1954).
I. S. Gradshteyn and I. M. Ryzhik,Table of Integrals, Series, and Products (Academic Press, New York, 1985).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Work supported by the Department of National Defence Award under CRAD No. 3610-637:F4122.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Manoukian, E.B. Theoretical intricacies of the single-slit, the double-slit, and related experiments in quantum mechanics. Found Phys 19, 479–504 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00734655
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00734655