You are right you did not mention the double slit experiment. You referenced signle slit diffraction. The issue then becomes whether you are evaluating a group of particles or photons or an individual particle or photon.
From my meager understanding single slit diffraction doesn't involve single photons or quantum particles of any kind. While at least individual photons and electrons can be examined in a double slit experiment.
While something is learned about light in single slit diffraction, it is difficult to project that to single photons.
The uncertainty principle involves the measurement of individual quantum particles and/or photons.
The whole point of simutaneous measurement has nothing to do with how certain either of the two or more measurements are. It has do with it not being possible at quantum scales.
How many times now have I asked for you to provide even one example of an experiment where two aspects of a quantum particle are measured simultaneously. I don't even care if the results are accurate, just prove it can be done... You claimed that it was easy...
I am beginning to believe that you are arguing for the sake of arguement.
Take a little time and read your own references. One of the first even said it was not possible, even in theory... And yet you continue to argue otherwise.
To be completely clear. Provide a credible reference to any experiment that measures position and momentum of any quantum particle simultaneously. THE MEASUREMENTS DON'T HAVE TO BE EXACT — THEY JUST HAVE TO BE SIMUTANEOUSLY MEASURED.
For this to be a true statement the measurements cannot be sequential, one and then the other. Continuing to try and divert the discussion by wandering off into descriptions of waves and wave particle duality, is nothing more than an attempt to avoid admitting you were wrong in that quote.
If you really believe you were right, provide a link to an experiment that demonstrates simutaneous measurements of position and momentum for a quantum particle. (Simutaneous means at the same time.)
You don't even seem to have a rudimentary understanding of the double slit experiment. You seem to think that an individual particle will create an interference pattern all by itself. This is not the case. What does happen is that its wave behavior dictates a probability distribution of where the particle will hit a detection screen. But one particle can only ever hit the detection screen in one place. It is only upon an accumulation of particles, displaying wave-like behavior, that we find an interference pattern, and thus the effect of the particle having traversed two slits.
A single slit diffraction is not much different. In both, each particle can only hit the detection screen in one place, and in both, it is only at the detection screen that we find the results (of either restricting it to a single slit or narrowing the single slit to one wavelength).
Quantum eraser experiments prove that, even if we have already determined position (which slit information), we can still recover an interference pattern by effectively erasing such information. Delayed choice quantum eraser experiments show that this "erasure" can even occur after the particle has passed the slits. The final detection screen/coincidence counter is the final measurement of all subsequent manipulations.
You don't seem to have the tools to understand these four experiments, nor more complicated ones that deal with partial which-slit information, with an associated weaker interference pattern, at the same time.
Single slit diffraction can be done one photon at a time, just like a double slit experiment. And just like with two slits, it takes an accumulation of photon hits to see the underlying probability distribution.
At this point, I'm starting to assume you may just be a lost cause.
Syne said:
You're the one "hammering" on calibration after you've already said it* has nothing to do with accuracy of measurement.
I did
not say that calibration has nothing to do with accuracy, quite the opposite in fact. What I said was the HUP has nothing to do with the accuracy of measurement.
*Sorry, apparently it wasn't clear that the "it" I was referring to was the uncertainty principle, just like what I quoted you as saying immediately after that:
arfa brane said:
No. The HUP states categorically that it is not possible to simultaneously measure the position and momentum of a particle precisely. It has nothing to do with the accuracy of measurement (i.e. how well calibrated the measurement apparatus is).
Why? Because there is no "actual" value for either the position or the momentum if one is measured to some arbitrary precision (using, recall, a calibrated system). Hence, there is no accuracy involved.
You should research partial which-path information in experiment,... or just read what every credible reference on the subject clearly says. Of course, you can also choose to ignore it all, like OnlyMe.