If there is any physical experiment in human history that is the most "horrifying", the double-slit interference experiment is ranked second, and I am afraid no one would dare to admit it.
Various parallel universe explanations have been put together.
Even more bizarre is the determinism of consciousness.
Even metaphysical explanations come out as demons.
In fact, they all do not understand the nature of quantum mechanics and only make wild guesses after reading a few press releases.
When it comes to the interference experiment that Li Yu wants to do, since it is photon, it is somewhat easier to understand and accept. After all, photon has no mass. In professional terms, it is a boson.
Later, humans also used particles with mass, that is, material particles, professionally called fermions, to conduct double-slit interference experiments.
The earliest successful double-slit interference experiment using electrons.
In modern times, single-electron double-slit interference was completed in 2012. This is incredible! The so-called "horror" refers to it!
Many people who don't understand are directly led to the rhythm.
Because photons, for a long time, everyone has accepted that they are a kind of wave and can interfere.
But electrons are basic particles that make up matter with mass. How can it complete wave interference with itself?
I can't even think of it!
Especially after the scientific community also explained it using parallel universes, it exploded directly on the spot.
Many people who do not know the truth and "overestimate their abilities" (that is, they do not understand quantum mechanics) have begun to engage in the various consciousness determinism and metaphysical theological viewpoints just mentioned, which are quite ridiculous.
There are even various idealistic arguments, but those who really understand them in the scientific community dismiss them.
Many times Li Yu didn't bother to pay attention to these people, but would scare them with things that were theoretically more "scary".
Everyone must know about Young's double-slit interference. Even high school students can do this experiment, so they can talk about the double-slit interference of electrons to some extent.
It is extremely difficult to explain this thing, because in quantum mechanics, particles do have wave-particle duality.
To explain electron interference experiments, you need to know a lot of basic knowledge of quantum mechanics.
So Li Yu thought of a famous mythical beast in quantum mechanics: Schrödinger's cat.
In fact, most people don't understand the true meaning of "Schrödinger's cat", let alone Schrödinger's truly powerful wave function.
But it doesn't matter, because Li Yu didn't say anything about this immortal cat.
Because the wave function is very interesting, because according to the wave-particle duality, humans also have wave-particle duality, that is, humans also have wave properties.
So Li Yu told these trolls: According to the theory of quantum mechanics, you also have the attribute of a wave, and a material wave is a probability wave, which is the probability of matter appearing at a certain location in space.
Your wave function is dispersed throughout the space, so the probability that you may appear anywhere in the next second is even on Mars. Theoretically, please note that in theory, it is not zero.
Hearing this, the gangsters went crazy.
Needless to say, the rest of Li Yu drove these people crazy.
Let me tell you secretly here. In fact, according to de Broglie's formula, the wavelength is equal to Planck's constant divided by the momentum. The calculated value of this wavelength can be said to be so small that it can be ignored.
According to the probabilistic explanation of the Schrödinger equation, even if you have existed since the Big Bang, until now, the probability of you teleporting to Mars is so small that it will not happen even once.
So don't worry!
Going back to the double-slit interference of single electrons, this experiment indeed touches the heart of quantum mechanics.
Many people misunderstand this experiment and then think about which gap an electron passed through. In fact, this is wrong.
The reason why everyone thinks this way is because electrons are drawn as small balls in textbooks.
But in fact, the physics community still didn't know what the structure of electrons was, or whether there was a lower limit to its size, until the point in time when Li Yu traveled through.
——Although electrons are the earliest fundamental particles discovered by humans, very little is still known about them.
In the core idea of quantum mechanics, the properties of microscopic particles have no meaning when you measure them.
And it is not just a small ball, its spatial distribution is a probability distribution.
Therefore, it is impossible for you to know the actual position of the electron. If you know it, it means you have measured it; and once you measure it, you must have used some kind of equipment, no matter how weak it is, it must have been disturbed; and
Once disturbed, the electrons will only show particle properties, and naturally no wave properties will be seen.
Although it's a bit convoluted, this is the core content of quantum mechanics.
It involves many advanced theories such as wave function collapse, uncertainty principle, etc.
Just know the basics and it will be mentioned later.
In a word, it is impossible for you to know the specific position of the electron, and it is impossible to know how it passes through the double slit.
That’s right, I don’t know!
So it’s wrong to discuss which seam to go through.
Planck heard Li Yu mention the "single photon experiment" and was already aware of the problem. He continued to say to Li Yu: "You know, according to speculation, please pay attention to my wording. It is just a guess. If there really is a photon,
If you plant something, there will only be two bright spots behind the two slits, so how can there be an interference pattern?"
Li Yu said: "The professor is right, so the premise of my experiment is that light has particle properties."
Planck frowned a little, put down the knife and fork in his hand, thought carefully for a while and said, "Are you so sure?"
Li Yu said seriously: "Yes!"
Planck's brows widened: "Well, if this is really the case, Mr. Newton will know about it in heaven and he will be happy."
After all, Li Yu had worked so hard to come to Europe again, so he should make some big moves.
This experiment can make Einstein move faster. After all, the explanation of the photoelectric effect truly established the particle nature of light.
In other words, Li Yu was somewhat "ahead of his time".
Li Yu's previous words were very rigorous, with the prefix "single photon" and then "double-slit interference test", which can be understood as assuming the particle nature of light in advance, and then proceeding from this to confirm its wave nature.
Although it sounds a bit convoluted, this is exactly the wave-particle duality.
It may seem like you have come full circle and come back to the starting point, but the process itself is extraordinary.
Moreover, Li Yu's "photon" statement is obviously consistent with Planck's quantum theory.
Although the single-photon double-slit interference experiment is not a very extraordinary and important experiment, and it does not seem to reach Nobel Prize level, it is very enlightening, especially in the embryonic stage of quantum mechanics.
Li Yu chose this kind of experiment that is not too "scary" and is considered "gentle" to the physics community.