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Massive particles test standard quantum theory by Staff Writers Vienna, Austria (SPX) Aug 16, 2017
Quantum mechanics describes how matter behaves on the smallest mass and length scales. However, the absence of quantum phenomena in our daily lives has triggered a search for minimal modifications of quantum mechanics, which might only be noticeable for massive particles. One candidate is to search for so-called higher-order interference. In standard quantum mechanics, the interference pattern resulting from an arbitrary number of non-interacting open paths can always be described by all combinations of pairs of paths. Any remaining pattern would be due to higher-order interference and be a possible indicator for new physics. While this rule has been tested before with light and microwave radiation, researchers at the Universities of Vienna and Tel Aviv have now run for the first time a dedicated experiment with massive molecules. "The idea has been known for more than twenty years. But only now do we have the technological means to bring all the components together and build an experiment capable of testing it with massive molecules," says Christian Brand, one of the authors of the study.
Multi-slit matter wave diffraction This means that when each molecule encounters a mask containing multiple slits, it can traverse many of the slits in parallel. By carefully comparing the position of molecules arriving at the detector behind a combination of single-, double- and triple slits they were able to place bounds on any multipath contribution.
Nanofabrication enabling technology The mask was integrated in the Vienna laboratory and the researchers studied a broad range of molecular velocities in the same experimental run. For all of them, the scientists found the interference pattern to follow the expectations of standard quantum mechanics with an upper bound in the deviation of less than one particle in a hundred. "This is the first time an explicit test of this kind has been conducted with massive particles", says Joseph Cotter, the first author of this publication. "Previous tests have pushed the frontiers with single photons and microwaves. In our experiment, we put bounds on higher-order interference of massive objects."
Orlando FL (SPX) Aug 09, 2017 A research team at the University of Central Florida has demonstrated the fastest light pulse ever developed, a 53-attosecond X-ray flash. The group led by Professor Zenghu Chang beat its own record set in 2012: a 67-attosecond extreme ultraviolet light pulse that was the fastest at the time. At one-quintillionth of a second, an attosecond is unimaginably fast. In 53 attoseconds, lig ... read more Related Links University of Vienna Understanding Time and Space
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