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Material Type: Notes; Professor: Prokofiev; Class: Intrmd Quant Mech I; Subject: Physics; University: University of Massachusetts - Amherst; Term: Unknown 1989;
Typology: Study notes
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Physics 614
As a prelude to the quantum mechanical formalism which we shall explore, it is useful to examine the basic tenets as outlined by Feynman in his pedagogical approach to the subject. The following material is extracted from Feynman's Lectures in Physics, Volume III, Chapter 1, 5. The reader is invited to consult the original source for more details.
Electron Diffraction
Consider electrons passing through a two slit system. If we had particles passing through we know the answer of what would occur - a probability pattern would emerge as shown in Fig. 1:.
(
WALL
Figure 1
'. PI: as shown is just the sum of the probabilities PI and P2 which would result if either slit #1 or slit #2 were blocked off, as indicated in Fig. 2. This is equivalent to saying that the particle went through either slit #1 or slit #2.
I
. MOVABlEDETECTOR^ r. .,K
I ~,. D~~::~--=~-=-:'--~- -
.~ ",~ i~. WALL (^) BACKsTop
1
Figure 2
Suppose now, however, that S is a light source. We know here too what would occur. If the slit separation is of the order of the incident wavelength we find an interference pattern, as shown in Fig. 3. x x
WALL (^) ABSORBER II = I hl 12=111/
Figure 3
The existence of such a pattern is assured since light is a wave and the field amplitudes E and B add rather than the intensities. Of course, if we blocked off either slit #1 or slit #2 we would find curves PI and P2 similar to those indicated in Fig. 2. However, if both slits are open the light passes through both slits and interferes as seen on the screen.
We can easily analyze the situation as follows. Assume the slit separation a is much less than the slit-screen distance L. Then
~-L
Figure 4
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