The lecture hall was quiet as though frozen solid—even the sound of breathing seemed to have vanished.
As Lucian activated the alchemical apparatus, scattered points of light appeared on the projection against the wall, chaotic and random, making it utterly impossible to guess where the next cluster would materialize.
The points of light multiplied. Heidi's mouth hung open, unable to close, and reflected in her pupils was a classic and beautiful interference pattern.
Gasps rose one after another. The wave nature of electrons was beyond any doubt now—this could not possibly be explained by a mere collection of particles conforming to some probability distribution.
"Electron double-slit interference…" Douglas stood at the back of the lecture hall, murmuring in a low voice. This experimental result was still within the bounds of what he could bear.
Over the past year or so, the secrets of the Immortal Corridor, the great advances in the microscopic domain, and one experimental result after another had led him, Fernando, and the others to initially accept the probabilistic interpretation of the electron and to develop a far deeper understanding of wave-particle duality. What they took issue with regarding Lucian was their belief that the foundations of his quantum mechanics were incomplete—there must be deeper reasons behind the electron's omnipresent probability cloud characteristics and its uncertainty. That was the crux of the matter, and it also held the key to why the strangeness of the microscopic domain did not manifest in the macroscopic world.
Yet even so, when they witnessed that familiar and almost intimate classic pattern, Douglas, Brooke, Oliver, Fernando, and the others could not help being shaken to their core. An electron that possessed mass, possessed charge, and followed trajectories could exhibit such pure wave-like behavior!
Framed by the dreamlike image of alternating bright and dark fringes, Lucian turned slightly and pointed at the projection. "No doubt many arcanists will refuse to trust their own eyes, or will suspect there's something wrong with my alchemical apparatus. If it's the latter, you're welcome to come inspect it after this open lecture is over. If it's the former—there's no need to doubt yourselves. What we're seeing is, without question, an interference pattern."
"If the electron were simply a particle with wave-like properties, it would pass through only one slit at a time, producing a simple superposition of two diffraction patterns. Unfortunately for that notion, the experimental results tell us otherwise. This is a standard diffraction pattern, which means the electron was either influenced by its companions behind it, or it passed through both slits simultaneously and interfered with itself—only then would its landing positions on the screen follow the law of interference fringes."
"Both of these explanations are, without question, manifestations of pure wave-like behavior."
Lucian's voice was rich and measured, unhurried. To the arcanists like Larry, who were stunned by the double-slit interference image, it sounded as though it had traveled across several worlds—hazy yet sacred.
"In fact, I've already verified this aspect. By improving the experimental apparatus and reducing the intensity of the emission source so that only a single electron is fired at a time—after the previous electron has passed through the double slit and reached the detection screen, the next one is emitted—this essentially rules out the possibility of electrons interfering with one another. And after a long period of accumulating light spots, the experiment once again produces interference fringes!"
"In other words, the electron truly is a probability wave. It pervades space, omnipresent, passing through both slits simultaneously and interfering with itself!"
Isabella, Samantha, and the others stared with eyes full of disbelief. An electron that possessed mass, possessed charge, and followed trajectories could actually pervade space and be omnipresent? Was this still matter? Was this still the foundation of matter?
If that was how an electron worked, then why couldn't we, composed of microscopic particles, pervade space and be omnipresent? Why couldn't we take a single step and arrive simultaneously at the Holy City of Lance and the City of Sacred Hymns, Altor?
The microscopic domain was also a part of the world, and arcanists could not help but link the microscopic to the macroscopic!
Helen gazed intently at the experimental image, her index finger pressed against her cheek as she sank into thought. Because of the state transitions Lucian had experienced and the "Immortal Corridor," the members of the Supreme Council were barely able to accept this probability cloud state without their Cognitive Worlds shattering, freezing, or blowing their heads apart.
As for the other arcanists, their research into the microscopic domain had never been that profound. They were mostly bewildered, and they had never dared to use it to construct their own Cognitive Worlds, which was why no mass head-explosion incidents had occurred. Yet even so, when they heard the description of the probability cloud, over a hundred arcanists displayed expressions of anguish. They could not imagine how the electrons in their Cognitive Worlds, which existed as standard particles, could possibly be like that.
At this point, one more shock might be enough to shatter and freeze their Cognitive Worlds.
"The probability cloud does exist, but the probabilistic nature of the electron isn't necessarily an intrinsic property…" Samantha muttered to herself in agony. If she admitted that probability was an intrinsic attribute of the electron, that probability was a fundamental law of the world, then determinism would be in serious trouble. So she could only cling to this reasoning to hold herself together.
Yet she also understood perfectly well that in this state, she had absolutely no chance of advancing to the Legendary rank. She couldn't even hope to become an Archmage.
The arcanists of the Astrology Division largely found themselves in a similar state. Fortunately, Lucian had not demonstrated the single-electron double-slit interference experiment right then and there.
Lucian lowered the hand that had been pointing at the wall projection and swept his gaze across the lecture hall, speaking in a steady, measured tone. "Because the single-electron emission experiment would take far too long, I won't be demonstrating it here. You may submit equipment requests to the Atomic Research Institute and verify it yourselves after your turn comes up."
"In this regard, you can also draw an analogy with the light interference experiment. The alchemical apparatus required is far simpler, and I'm confident you can complete it in your own laboratories."
Lucian then described the full experimental design for passing a single photon through the double slits. "After accumulating over a long period, you should be able to observe interference fringes. In other words, a single photon also possesses the property of self-interference."
Some arcanists sat silent as the dead, as though terrified of such experimental results. Others trembled slightly, as if they could hardly wait to verify this design for themselves.
At that moment, Oliver spoke up. "Lucian, everything you've said is predicated on the electron possessing wave-particle duality. But what if it's purely a wave, and its particle-like nature is merely a manifestation of a wave packet? Then the double-slit interference experiment and single-electron self-interference would be nothing surprising—they'd simply be inherent properties of waves. Moreover, at what scale does quantum superposition actually exist, and why doesn't it extend to the macroscopic world?"
"Why does your probability wave, which pervades space, suddenly collapse upon reaching the detection screen into a single definite point, losing all probabilistic characteristics?"
His explanation drew gentle nods from the arcanists who leaned toward the wave interpretation. From that perspective, the previous experiments seemed less inconceivable and less staggering.