Description of classical and quantum interference in view of the concept of flow line
Abstract
Bohmian mechanics, a hydrodynamic formulation of quantum mechanics, relies on the concept of trajectory, which evolves in time in compliance with dynamical information conveyed by the wave function. Here, this appealing idea is considered to analyze both classical and quantum interference, thus providing an alternative and more intuitive framework to understand the time evolution of waves either in terms of the flow of energy (for instance, for mechanical waves, sound waves, and electromagnetic waves) or analogously the flow of probability (quantum waves). Furthermore, this procedure also supplies a more robust explanation of interference phenomena, which currently is only based on the superposition principle. That is, while this principle only describes how different waves combine and what effects these combinations may lead to, flow lines provide a more precise explanation on how the energy or probability propagates in space before, during, and after the combination of such waves, wi...thout dealing with them separately (i.e., the combination or superposition is taken as a whole). In this sense, concepts such as constructive and destructive interference, typically associated with the superposition principle, physically correspond to more or less dense swarms of (energy or probability) flow lines. A direct consequence of this description is that, when considering the distribution of electromagnetic energy flow lines behind two slits, each one covered by a differently oriented polarizer, it is naturally found that external observers' information on the slit crossed by single photons (understood as energy parcels) is totally irrelevant for the existence of interference fringes, in striking contrast to what is commonly stated and taught.
Keywords:
Bohmian mechanics / flow line / interference / sound wave / electromagnetic wave / Poynting vector / Umov vector / probability currentSource:
Journal of Russian Laser Research, 2015, 36, 4, 329-342Publisher:
- Springer New York LLC
Funding / projects:
- Physics of Ordered Nanostructures and New Materials in Photonics (RS-MESTD-Basic Research (BR or ON)-171005)
- A new approach to foundational problems of quantum mechanics related to applications in quantum technologies and interpretations of signals of various origins (RS-MESTD-Basic Research (BR or ON)-171028)
- Fabrication and characterization of nano-photonic functional structrues in biomedicine and informatics (RS-MESTD-Integrated and Interdisciplinary Research (IIR or III)-45016)
- Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (Spain) FIS2011-29596-C02-01
- Ramon y Cajal Research Fellowship RYC-2010-05768
DOI: 10.1007/s10946-015-9507-y
ISSN: 1071-2836
WoS: 000362954600004
Scopus: 2-s2.0-84943240641
Collections
Institution/Community
GraFarTY - JOUR AU - Davidović, Milena AU - Sanz, Angel S. AU - Božić, Mirjana PY - 2015 UR - https://grafar.grf.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/718 AB - Bohmian mechanics, a hydrodynamic formulation of quantum mechanics, relies on the concept of trajectory, which evolves in time in compliance with dynamical information conveyed by the wave function. Here, this appealing idea is considered to analyze both classical and quantum interference, thus providing an alternative and more intuitive framework to understand the time evolution of waves either in terms of the flow of energy (for instance, for mechanical waves, sound waves, and electromagnetic waves) or analogously the flow of probability (quantum waves). Furthermore, this procedure also supplies a more robust explanation of interference phenomena, which currently is only based on the superposition principle. That is, while this principle only describes how different waves combine and what effects these combinations may lead to, flow lines provide a more precise explanation on how the energy or probability propagates in space before, during, and after the combination of such waves, without dealing with them separately (i.e., the combination or superposition is taken as a whole). In this sense, concepts such as constructive and destructive interference, typically associated with the superposition principle, physically correspond to more or less dense swarms of (energy or probability) flow lines. A direct consequence of this description is that, when considering the distribution of electromagnetic energy flow lines behind two slits, each one covered by a differently oriented polarizer, it is naturally found that external observers' information on the slit crossed by single photons (understood as energy parcels) is totally irrelevant for the existence of interference fringes, in striking contrast to what is commonly stated and taught. PB - Springer New York LLC T2 - Journal of Russian Laser Research T1 - Description of classical and quantum interference in view of the concept of flow line EP - 342 IS - 4 SP - 329 VL - 36 DO - 10.1007/s10946-015-9507-y ER -
@article{ author = "Davidović, Milena and Sanz, Angel S. and Božić, Mirjana", year = "2015", abstract = "Bohmian mechanics, a hydrodynamic formulation of quantum mechanics, relies on the concept of trajectory, which evolves in time in compliance with dynamical information conveyed by the wave function. Here, this appealing idea is considered to analyze both classical and quantum interference, thus providing an alternative and more intuitive framework to understand the time evolution of waves either in terms of the flow of energy (for instance, for mechanical waves, sound waves, and electromagnetic waves) or analogously the flow of probability (quantum waves). Furthermore, this procedure also supplies a more robust explanation of interference phenomena, which currently is only based on the superposition principle. That is, while this principle only describes how different waves combine and what effects these combinations may lead to, flow lines provide a more precise explanation on how the energy or probability propagates in space before, during, and after the combination of such waves, without dealing with them separately (i.e., the combination or superposition is taken as a whole). In this sense, concepts such as constructive and destructive interference, typically associated with the superposition principle, physically correspond to more or less dense swarms of (energy or probability) flow lines. A direct consequence of this description is that, when considering the distribution of electromagnetic energy flow lines behind two slits, each one covered by a differently oriented polarizer, it is naturally found that external observers' information on the slit crossed by single photons (understood as energy parcels) is totally irrelevant for the existence of interference fringes, in striking contrast to what is commonly stated and taught.", publisher = "Springer New York LLC", journal = "Journal of Russian Laser Research", title = "Description of classical and quantum interference in view of the concept of flow line", pages = "342-329", number = "4", volume = "36", doi = "10.1007/s10946-015-9507-y" }
Davidović, M., Sanz, A. S.,& Božić, M.. (2015). Description of classical and quantum interference in view of the concept of flow line. in Journal of Russian Laser Research Springer New York LLC., 36(4), 329-342. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10946-015-9507-y
Davidović M, Sanz AS, Božić M. Description of classical and quantum interference in view of the concept of flow line. in Journal of Russian Laser Research. 2015;36(4):329-342. doi:10.1007/s10946-015-9507-y .
Davidović, Milena, Sanz, Angel S., Božić, Mirjana, "Description of classical and quantum interference in view of the concept of flow line" in Journal of Russian Laser Research, 36, no. 4 (2015):329-342, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10946-015-9507-y . .