Quantum mechanical which-way experiment with an internal degree of freedom
For a particle travelling through an interferometer, the trade-off between the available which-way information and the interference visibility provides a lucid manifestation of the quantum mechanical wave–particle duality. Here we analyse this relation for a particle possessing an internal degree of...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
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Springer Nature
2013
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| _version_ | 1797058148091035648 |
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| author | Banaszek, K Horodecki, P Karpiński, M Radzewicz, C |
| author_facet | Banaszek, K Horodecki, P Karpiński, M Radzewicz, C |
| author_sort | Banaszek, K |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | For a particle travelling through an interferometer, the trade-off between the available which-way information and the interference visibility provides a lucid manifestation of the quantum mechanical wave–particle duality. Here we analyse this relation for a particle possessing an internal degree of freedom such as spin. We quantify the trade-off with a general inequality that paints an unexpectedly intricate picture of wave–particle duality when internal states are involved. Strikingly, in some instances which-way information becomes erased by introducing classical uncertainty in the internal degree of freedom. Furthermore, even imperfect interference visibility measured for a suitable set of spin preparations can be sufficient to infer absence of which-way information. General results are illustrated with a proof-of-principle single-photon experiment. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-06T19:46:27Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:22747962-21d2-4a37-8f87-2c134ff4ca26 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-06T19:46:27Z |
| publishDate | 2013 |
| publisher | Springer Nature |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:22747962-21d2-4a37-8f87-2c134ff4ca262022-03-26T11:38:55ZQuantum mechanical which-way experiment with an internal degree of freedomJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:22747962-21d2-4a37-8f87-2c134ff4ca26EnglishSymplectic Elements at OxfordSpringer Nature2013Banaszek, KHorodecki, PKarpiński, MRadzewicz, CFor a particle travelling through an interferometer, the trade-off between the available which-way information and the interference visibility provides a lucid manifestation of the quantum mechanical wave–particle duality. Here we analyse this relation for a particle possessing an internal degree of freedom such as spin. We quantify the trade-off with a general inequality that paints an unexpectedly intricate picture of wave–particle duality when internal states are involved. Strikingly, in some instances which-way information becomes erased by introducing classical uncertainty in the internal degree of freedom. Furthermore, even imperfect interference visibility measured for a suitable set of spin preparations can be sufficient to infer absence of which-way information. General results are illustrated with a proof-of-principle single-photon experiment. |
| spellingShingle | Banaszek, K Horodecki, P Karpiński, M Radzewicz, C Quantum mechanical which-way experiment with an internal degree of freedom |
| title | Quantum mechanical which-way experiment with an internal degree of freedom |
| title_full | Quantum mechanical which-way experiment with an internal degree of freedom |
| title_fullStr | Quantum mechanical which-way experiment with an internal degree of freedom |
| title_full_unstemmed | Quantum mechanical which-way experiment with an internal degree of freedom |
| title_short | Quantum mechanical which-way experiment with an internal degree of freedom |
| title_sort | quantum mechanical which way experiment with an internal degree of freedom |
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