Comparing the diffraction patterns behind a combination of precisely written slits allows testing quantum mechanics with complex molecules (Copyright: Group for Quantum Nanophysics, Faculty of Physics, University of Vienna; Image-Design: Christian Knobloch).
In quantum mechanics particles can behave as waves and take many paths through an experiment, even when a classical marble could only take one of them at any time. However, it requires only combinations of pairs of paths, rather than three or more, to determine the probability for a particle to arrive somewhere. This principle is a consequence of Born's rule, a cornerstone of quantum physics and any measured violation of it might hint at new physics. Now, researchers at the Universities of Vienna and Tel Aviv have addressed this question for the first time explicitly using the wave interference of large molecules behind various combinations of single, double, and triple slits. The analysis - published in the Journal 'Science Advances' - confirms the formalism of established quantum physics for massive particles. 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.
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