Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Interference and Diffraction02:18

Interference and Diffraction

53.2K
Interference is a characteristic phenomenon exhibited by waves. When two electromagnetic waves interact with their peaks and troughs coinciding, a resulting wave with enhanced amplitude is produced. This is known as constructive interference. In this case, the two waves interacting are in phase with each other.
53.2K
The de Broglie Wavelength02:32

The de Broglie Wavelength

34.2K
In the macroscopic world, objects that are large enough to be seen by the naked eye follow the rules of classical physics. A billiard ball moving on a table will behave like a particle; it will continue traveling in a straight line unless it collides with another ball, or it is acted on by some other force, such as friction. The ball has a well-defined position and velocity or well-defined momentum, p = mv, which is defined by mass m and velocity v at any given moment. This is the typical...
34.2K
The Uncertainty Principle04:08

The Uncertainty Principle

34.0K
Werner Heisenberg considered the limits of how accurately one can measure properties of an electron or other microscopic particles. He determined that there is a fundamental limit to how accurately one can measure both a particle’s position and its momentum simultaneously. The more accurate the measurement of the momentum of a particle is known, the less accurate the position at that time is known and vice versa. This is what is now called the Heisenberg uncertainty principle. He...
34.0K
¹H NMR: Interpreting Distorted and Overlapping Signals01:02

¹H NMR: Interpreting Distorted and Overlapping Signals

1.7K
Spin systems where the difference in chemical shifts of the coupled nuclei is greater than ten times J are called first-order spin systems. These nuclei are weakly coupled, and their chemical shifts and coupling constant can generally be estimated from the well-separated signals in the spectrum.
As Δν decreases and the signals move closer, the doublets appear increasingly distorted. The intensities of the inner lines increase at the cost of those of the outer lines as the signals are...
1.7K
Interference: Path Lengths01:10

Interference: Path Lengths

2.4K
Consider two sources of sound, that may or may not be in phase, emitting waves at a single frequency, and consider the frequencies to be the same.
Two special sources may be considered when they are in phase. This can be easily achieved by feeding the two sources from the same source. An example would be synchronizing the two speakers by feeding them with the same source, such as the sound waves produced by a tuning fork. This setup ensures that the two sources have the same frequency and are...
2.4K
Interference and Superposition of Waves01:07

Interference and Superposition of Waves

7.3K
When two waves of the same nature occur in the same region simultaneously, they result in interference. Interference of waves implies that the net effect of the waves is the sum of the individual waves' effects. However, it does not imply that the individual waves affect the propagation of other waves.
Interference occurs in mechanical waves, such as sound waves, waves on a string, and surface water waves. Mechanical waves correspond to the physical displacement of particles. Hence,...
7.3K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Complex cooperativity in DNA origami revealed via design-dependent defectivity.

Nucleic acids research·2026
Same author

<i>Plasmodium falciparum</i> exploits NUAK1 to establish infection in human erythrocytes.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025
Same author

Approaching the scaling limit of transport through lattices with dephasing.

The Journal of chemical physics·2025
Same author

Clustering DNA and RNA molecular dynamics ensembles via secondary structure.

Biophysical journal·2025
Same author

Single-Molecule Biodosimetry.

Analytical chemistry·2025
Same author

Amplification, Inference, and the Manifestation of Objective Classical Information.

Entropy (Basel, Switzerland)·2022
Same journal

The Crane Operator's Trick and other Shenanigans with a Pendulum.

American journal of physics·2023
Same journal

A gentle introduction to the non-equilibrium physics of trajectories: Theory, algorithms, and biomolecular applications.

American journal of physics·2022
Same journal

Averaging of harmonic physical fields over an annular region enclosing field sources.

American journal of physics·2020
Same journal

Computational model of a vector-mediated epidemic.

American journal of physics·2020
Same journal

Flying through polytropes.

American journal of physics·2019
Same journal

An inexpensive programmable illumination microscope with active feedback.

American journal of physics·2016
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 12, 2026

Measurement of Quantum Interference in a Silicon Ring Resonator Photon Source
12:19

Measurement of Quantum Interference in a Silicon Ring Resonator Photon Source

Published on: April 4, 2017

8.9K

Measurement-induced decoherence and information in double-slit interference.

Joshua Kincaid1, Kyle McLelland1, Michael Zwolak2

  • 1Department of Physics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331.

American Journal of Physics
|November 4, 2016
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The double-slit experiment shows quantum interference disappears when particle paths are observed. This study models how information gain by observers causes this loss of quantum interference.

More Related Videos

Measurement of Coherence Decay in GaMnAs Using Femtosecond Four-wave Mixing
15:58

Measurement of Coherence Decay in GaMnAs Using Femtosecond Four-wave Mixing

Published on: December 3, 2013

6.1K
A Photonic System for Generating Unconditional Polarization-Entangled Photons Based on Multiple Quantum Interference
07:56

A Photonic System for Generating Unconditional Polarization-Entangled Photons Based on Multiple Quantum Interference

Published on: September 5, 2019

9.0K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 12, 2026

Measurement of Quantum Interference in a Silicon Ring Resonator Photon Source
12:19

Measurement of Quantum Interference in a Silicon Ring Resonator Photon Source

Published on: April 4, 2017

8.9K
Measurement of Coherence Decay in GaMnAs Using Femtosecond Four-wave Mixing
15:58

Measurement of Coherence Decay in GaMnAs Using Femtosecond Four-wave Mixing

Published on: December 3, 2013

6.1K
A Photonic System for Generating Unconditional Polarization-Entangled Photons Based on Multiple Quantum Interference
07:56

A Photonic System for Generating Unconditional Polarization-Entangled Photons Based on Multiple Quantum Interference

Published on: September 5, 2019

9.0K

Area of Science:

  • Quantum Physics
  • Quantum Mechanics
  • Wave-Particle Duality

Background:

  • The double-slit experiment is a cornerstone of quantum mechanics, demonstrating wave-like interference and the observer effect.
  • Observation of particle paths in the double-slit experiment leads to the loss of the interference pattern.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To present a model of interference, dephasing, and measurement-induced decoherence in a 1D double-slit experiment.
  • To correlate the loss of interference with information gain by the measuring apparatus.
  • To provide an accessible account of quantum measurement using this paradigmatic example.

Main Methods:

  • Development of a theoretical model for a one-dimensional double-slit experiment.
  • Simulation of interference, dephasing, and decoherence processes.
  • Analysis of the relationship between information gain and interference pattern visibility.

Main Results:

  • The model successfully reproduces the loss of interference upon observation.
  • A direct correlation is established between the amount of information acquired by the observer and the diminished interference.
  • Decoherence is shown to be the mechanism underlying the observer effect in this context.

Conclusions:

  • The loss of quantum interference in the double-slit experiment is fundamentally linked to the acquisition of information about the particle's path.
  • This work offers a modern, model-based explanation of quantum measurement accessible to students.
  • The findings reinforce the interpretation of quantum measurement as an information-gathering process that alters the system's state.