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Suppose that we have a light emission apparatus capable of emitting only one photon. Then we set this photon to pass in a double slit apparatus and emerge in a black screen such that when it is absorbed the photon lives a mark.

My question is: if we close one of the slits, and set a sufficiently large amount of photons perform the above apparatus what we will see in the screen is a normal distribution or a interference pattern? If we set light, instead of photons, we see an interference pattern, correct? But does the one-photon change, changes the way that the experiments shows itself, showing a more 'particle' than 'wave' characteristic of light?

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  • $\begingroup$ When you close one of the slits, you cease to have a double-slit experiment. You now have a single-slit experiment where light only has one possible path, so you will not see interference patterns, whether you use one photon or many. $\endgroup$
    – Cort Ammon
    Commented Jan 16, 2018 at 17:23
  • $\begingroup$ @CortAmmon What about the single-slit interference pattern? $\endgroup$
    – Bill N
    Commented Jan 16, 2018 at 17:26
  • $\begingroup$ @BillN As in diffraction? $\endgroup$
    – Cort Ammon
    Commented Jan 16, 2018 at 17:31
  • $\begingroup$ The experiment you describe is easily repeated. Google for "one photon at a time". $\endgroup$
    – Solomon Slow
    Commented Jan 16, 2018 at 17:33
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    $\begingroup$ A single slit will produce a sinc pattern on the screen $\endgroup$
    – John Rennie
    Commented Jan 16, 2018 at 17:33

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First off - what you describe is a single-slit experiment, not a double-slit experiment. As soon as you know which slit the photons go through, it is no longer a double-slit experiment.

Back to your question. You make a difference between 'light' and 'photons'. I assume that by light you refer to a description in the 'wave-picture'. Note that single photons are also light. The light source simply has a very low intensity. As a consequence - even if you send your photons through the slit one at a time: The outcome will be the same as with what you called 'light'. You simply have to send many photons through the slit.

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