Wave function collapse: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 02:19, 3 December 2004

Revision as of 07:51, 6 December 2004

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Using his experiment it is possible to detect interference fringes even when observing the path of a photon stream, indicating that the wavefunction does not collapse. If his results are verified, it has far-reaching implications for the understanding of the quantum world, and invalidates the [[Copenhagen interpretation]]. It would also seem to invalidate the [[Many-worlds interpretation]] which predicts that there should be no interference between wave functions in universes that are physically distinguishable.

Unruh has [http://axion.physics.ubc.ca/rebel.html claimed] that Afshar's experiment does not prove or disprove any of the interpretations. Basically, the counter-argument is that Afshar's apparatus can be analyzed by analogy to a pair of cascaded interferometers and that this elucidates why the contradiction claimed is not real. Not surprisingly, but perhaps more tersely than intelligibly, Afshar claims that Unruh has over-simplified matters.

[[Category:Quantum mechanics]]