Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 28, 2025

Measurement of Quantum Interference in a Silicon Ring Resonator Photon Source
Published on: April 4, 2017
Description of quantum interference using mixed quantum/classical theory of inelastic scattering
Dulat Bostan1, Bikramaditya Mandal1, Carolin Joy1
1Chemistry Department, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201-1881, USA. dmitri.babikov@mu.edu.
Quantum interference causes oscillations in scattering cross sections for nitrogen (N₂) + oxygen (O) collisions. Different theoretical methods show good agreement, with oscillations persisting across a wide energy range.
Area of Science:
- Chemical Physics
- Quantum Mechanics
- Scattering Theory
Background:
- Quantum interference effects are crucial in molecular collisions.
- Understanding these effects requires accurate theoretical models and computational methods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate quantum interference in N₂ + O collisions.
- To compare different theoretical methods for calculating scattering cross sections.
- To analyze the influence of initial rotational states and potential energy surfaces (PESs).
Main Methods:
- Utilized two electronic potential energy surfaces (PESs) for the N₂ + O system.
- Employed approximate mixed quantum/classical theory (MQCT and AT-MQCT) and the full-quantum coupled-channel method (MOLSCAT).
- Calculated elastic scattering cross sections across a broad range of collision energies.
Main Results:
- Observed oscillations in elastic scattering cross sections due to quantum interference.
- Demonstrated good agreement between MQCT and MOLSCAT, especially at high collision energies.
- Found that quantum oscillations persist across a wide energy range, including low energies.
Conclusions:
- Quantum interference significantly impacts scattering cross sections in N₂ + O collisions.
- MQCT provides a reliable approximation to full-quantum calculations for this system.
- The study reproduces available experimental data at high collision energies.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
The de Broglie Wavelength
The Uncertainty Principle
Interference and Superposition of 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,...
The Quantum-Mechanical Model of an Atom
Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy: Interference
Spectral interference occurs when signals from other elements or molecules overlap with the analyte signal, falsely elevating or masking the analyte's absorbance. This interference can be corrected using Zeeman,...
Atomic Emission Spectroscopy: Interference

