The method shows how to violate predictions of
quantum mechanics for matter. For light, the method has been disclosed in
patent application Photon Violation
Spectroscopy. The methods are different in specifying different methods for light and matter. For matter, the method typically uses the single 5.5 MeV alpha (He++) emitted from the radioisotope
Americium-241 in spontaneous decay, a thin
gold foil beam splitter, and two
surface barrier alpha detectors. The detectors deliver a characteristic electrical pulse with amplitude proportional to
matter wave energy. A circuit reads the
coincidence rate and singles rates of pulses from the two detectors.
Quantum mechanics predicts that the particle would go one way or the other at the
beam splitter, and coincident detections of pulses characteristic of such a particle would occur only at an easily calculated chance rate. However, the method at hand shows such characteristic pulses occur in
coincidence at a rate greatly exceeding chance. By exceeding chance the method demonstrates surpassing a
binding energy threshold and predictions of
quantum mechanics. The degree above chance is a new measure in fundamental
physics and is
usable as a material science probe of the
beam splitter. An apparatus specially designed to test for the absence of true coincidences and then perform a
beam splitting test to show split-beam coincidences becomes useful in applying the method of Particle Violation
Spectroscopy to material science. Fundamental discoveries in
physics have been made with this method; therefore it is a method of discovery in
physics.