One- and two-slit experiments using photons and electrons: A proper resolution

Abstract

We construct proper microscopic propositions to consistently capture and explain the interference patterns obtained for electrons and photons, detected individually or otherwise, in one- and two-slit experiments. We propose that for single-photon detections (after time integration), no interference pattern is obtained if one uses non-transparent slit material with slit holes (not diffraction slits). The non-transparent slit material does not permit photons to transmit, reflect internally nor refract. However, the same slit holes can produce the usual interference pattern with electromagnetic waves due to interfering in-phase and out-of-phase light waves. As for the electrons, detected individually or not, partial interference patterns can always be obtained from the two-slit experiment when one of the slits is closed (one at a time), which then can be manually overlapped to produce the complete interference pattern of a double-slit experiment. These new theoretically constructed experimental results for photons and electrons can be readily verified with our current technology using suitable optically non-transparent (for photons) and highly insulating (for electrons) slit materials.