Skip to Main Content
Over 110 million simulations delivered
University of Colorado Logo
Created 1/22/14. The most up-to-date version is available online.
Principal Sponsors
The Hewlett Logo

Makes grants to address the most serious social and environmental problems facing society, where risk capital, responsibly invested, may make a difference over time.
The NSF Logo National Science Foundation

An independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 to promote the progress of science.

Excellence Center of Science and Mathematics Education at King Saud University
The King Saud (ESCME) Logo

King Saud University seeks to become a leader in educational and technological innovation, scientific discovery and creativity through fostering an atmosphere of intellectual inspiration and partnership for the prosperity of society.

The O'Donnell Foundation is devoted to building model programs to enhance the quality of education.
Other Sponsors >>

Quantum Wave Interference

This simulation has been used and tested in the classroom, and on multiple computer platforms. The simulation has been refined based on that experience and on student interviews.
Quantum Wave Interference Screenshot Download 2,082 kB
Version: 1.11 (change log)
When do photons, electrons, and atoms behave like particles and when do they behave like waves? Watch waves spread out and interfere as they pass through a double slit, then get detected on a screen as tiny dots. Use quantum detectors to explore how measurements change the waves and the patterns they produce on the screen.

See Below

Teaching Resources

Main Topics

  • Quantum Mechanics
  • Photons
  • Electrons
  • Atoms
  • Particles
  • Waves

Sample Learning Goals

  • Visualize a photon, electron, neutron, or helium atom as a wave packet that collapses upon detection.
  • Visualize what happens to the wave between slit and screen.
  • Justify how the double slit experiment explains that matter and light behave as waves.
  • Describe the behavior of a wave function in the presence of a detector, and explain how putting a detector over a slit destroys the interference pattern. Determine how the interference pattern will change if you change the mass, speed, or wavelength.
  • Recognize large range of size scales involved in quantum interference experiments.
  • Recognize that two coherent light sources can interfere, but only if they have the same wavelength.

Tips for Teachers

The teacher's guide (pdf) contains tips created by the PhET team.

Teaching Ideas

Title Authors Level Type Updated
Visualization and Visual Illusions SIM Homework This contribution was designed by PhET. This contribution has received a Gold Star because it is a high quality inquiry-based activity that follows the PhET design guidelines (PDF) and teachers have found it useful. Kathy Perkins, Carl Wieman UG-Intro HW 1/9/11
Probability and Randomness Interactive Lecture This contribution was designed by PhET. This contribution has received a Gold Star because it is a high quality inquiry-based activity that follows the PhET design guidelines (PDF) and teachers have found it useful. Sam McKagan, Kathy Perkins, Carl Wieman, and Noah Finkelstein UG-Adv
UG-Intro		 CQs
Demo		 1/9/11
Wave Particle Duality This contribution was designed by PhET. This contribution has received a Gold Star because it is a high quality inquiry-based activity that follows the PhET design guidelines (PDF) and teachers have found it useful. Sam McKagan, Kathy Perkins, and Carl Wieman UG-Adv
UG-Intro		 HW 4/20/10
The Two-Slit Experiment Roberta Tevlin HS HW
Demo
CQs		 5/19/08

You can submit your own ideas and activities.

Translated Versions:

Language Language (Translated) Simulation Title
Basque Basque Uhin kunatikoen arteko Interferentzia Run Now
Bosnian Bosnian KVANTNO-TALASNA INTERFERENCIJA Run Now
Chinese - Simplified 中文 (中国) 量子波干涉 Run Now
Chinese - Traditional 中文 (台灣) 量子波干涉 Run Now
Croatian hrvatski Kvantna interferencija valova Run Now
Danish Dansk Kvantum-bølge-interferens Run Now
Dutch Nederlands Kwantum golfinterferentie Run Now
French français Interférence d'onde quantique Run Now
Galician Gallegan Interferencia Onda Cuántica Run Now
Georgian Georgian კვანტური ტალღის ინტერფერენცია Run Now
German Deutsch Quantenwellen Interferenz Run Now
Greek Ελληνικά Quantum Wave Interference Run Now
Hebrew עברית התאבכות גל קוונטי Run Now
Hungarian magyar Kvantumhullám-interferencia Run Now
Indonesian Bahasa Indonesia Interferensi Gelombang Kuantum Run Now
Italian italiano Interferenza delle onde quantiche Run Now
Japanese 日本語 量子波の干渉 Run Now
Korean 한국어 양자파동간섭 Run Now
Macedonian македонски Интерференција на квантни бранови Run Now
Persian Persian تداخل موج کوانتومی Run Now
Polish polski Kwatowa interferencja fal Run Now
Portuguese português Interferência Quântica Run Now
Russian русский Quantum Wave Interference Run Now
Serbian Српски КВАНТНО-ТАЛАСНА ИНТЕРФЕРЕНЦИЈА Run Now
Slovak Slovenčina Interferencia kvantových vĺn Run Now
Spanish español Interferencia de Onda Cuántica Run Now
Spanish (Peru) español (Perú) Interferencia de Onda Cuántica Run Now
Turkish Türkçe Kuantum Dalga Girişimi Run Now
Turkmen Turkmen Kwant tolkun interferensiýasy Run Now
Vietnamese Tiếng Việt Giao thoa sóng lượng tử Run Now

Software Requirements

Windows Macintosh Linux
Microsoft Windows
XP/Vista/7
Sun Java 1.5.0_15 or later 		OS 10.5 or later
Sun Java 1.5.0_19 or later 		Sun Java 1.5.0_15 or later

Credits

Design Team Third-party Libraries Thanks To
  • Wendy Adams
  • Sam McKagan (lead)
  • Kathy Perkins
  • Sam Reid (developer)
  • Carl Wieman
  • Interviewer: Danielle Harlow
  • Interviewer: Sam McKagan
© 2013 University of Colorado. Some rights reserved.