Light, long considered to be either a wave or a particle, has been shown to behave like both in a groundbreaking experiment that demonstrates its dual nature. The double-slit experiment, first performed in 1801, was recreated by MIT scientists using single atoms as the “slits” and extremely weak light beams.
The researchers controlled how much information was gathered about a photon’s path by adjusting the quantum state of the individual atoms. They found that when less information was known about the photon’s path, it exhibited wave-like behavior, while more information resulted in particle-like behavior.
However, the key to unlocking this dual nature was not the presence or absence of a “spring” as Einstein once proposed but rather the fuzziness of the atoms themselves. By adjusting the fuzziness, the researchers could control the mix of wave-like and particle-like behavior in the photons.
The team’s results perfectly matched quantum theory, proving that light behaves like both a wave and a particle depending on how it is observed. The experiment demonstrates that the universe is full of “pick one” moments where light chooses to behave as either a wave or a particle.
Source: https://www.techexplorist.com/superman-light-two-identities-impossible-see-once/100452