Physicists at MIT have conducted an experiment using incredible atomic precision to resolve a long-standing debate between Albert Einstein and Niels Bohr about the nature of light. The researchers used ultracold atoms as individual slits, allowing them to study how single photons interacted with neighboring atoms, revealing whether light behaves as a wave or a particle.
A 98-year-old question about the fundamental nature of light has finally been answered by MIT physicists. In 1927, Albert Einstein and Niels Bohr engaged in a famous debate over the subject. Einstein believed that light’s particle path could be observed simultaneously with its wave-like behavior, while Bohr argued that this was impossible due to the uncertainty principle.
The researchers used ultracold atoms as individual slits, allowing them to study how single photons interacted with neighboring atoms. By precisely tuning the “fuzziness” of these atomic slits, they were able to observe a clear relationship between light’s particle-like behavior and its wave-like interference pattern.
Their results confirmed that Bohr was correct, showing that getting information about a photon’s path automatically erased its wave-like properties. The findings solidified Einstein’s incorrect views on this specific quantum scenario, reaffirming the strange nature of quantum reality.
This experiment builds upon decades of work by many physicists and demonstrates the power of innovative experimental design in resolving fundamental questions in physics.
Source: https://interestingengineering.com/science/mit-settles-98-year-debate-einstein-bohr