Quantum Fluctuations and Entanglement as Illustrated by Young’s Double Slit Experiment

Figure 1, In quantum physics, a quantum fluctuation is the temporary random change in the amount of energy in any point in space. This is a simulation of those fluctuations in a very tiny space. Source: Wikipedia

Introduction

In my opinion, quantum fluctuations and entanglement are the least understood elements of quantum mechanics. By examining what is happening in the double slit experiment, we can see more clearly how they work. The equations describing the interactions don’t give one any feeling for what is happening. The surprising strength of quantum entanglement is one thing that becomes clear when looking at this experiment. Another puzzle that has not yet been explained in any reasonable way is the randomness of the location of the interactions. In this paper, I hope to show that the quantum fluctuations of the Higgs field, sometimes called the quantum foam, are responsible for this randomness.

The Higgs Field

According to our present understanding of the Universe, the Higgs field permeates all of space-time. This is a scalar field that particles interact with, giving them mass. We know that this field exists because of many things. One is the experimental verification of the Higgs boson, which is the particle causing the Higgs field. Another is the brief existence of what we call virtual particles in otherwise empty space. Some of the most common virtual particles are electron-positron pairs. That is because these are lower energy particles so…