Hydrodynamic wave-particle dualities

organizzato  dal dott. Giuseppe Pucci (UNICAL-Fisica Molecolare e CNR-Nanotec)

10 marzo 2021

Abstract

Since the discovery of the quantum world and the formulation of quantum mechanics, scientists have continuously attempted to define the border between classical and quantum physics. In the last fifteen years, this border has been moved forward by the discovery of a form of macroscopic wave-particle duality. Millimetric liquid droplets can self-propel by bouncing on the surface of a vertically vibrating bath of the same liquid. At each bounce a droplet generates a wave, and the compound object comprising the particle and the wave field has been called a “walker”. Walkers exhibit several features previously thought to be restricted to the microscopic, quantum realm, e.g., quantised orbits and angular momentum in the presence of a central force, and wavelike statistics in corrals. In the first part of the seminar, I will introduce the walker system and briefly describe the quantum-like behaviours that it exhibits. I will then discuss in detail the hydrodynamic analogues of single-particle diffraction and interference and spin lattices. In the last part, I will present a recently discovered system in which solid particles are driven by the waves they generate on the surface of a vibrating bath, and discuss future directions in terms of hydrodynamic quantum analogues with this novel type of macroscopic wave-particle association.