中国物理B ›› 2014, Vol. 23 ›› Issue (11): 110309-110309.doi: 10.1088/1674-1056/23/11/110309

• GENERAL • 上一篇    下一篇

Elementary analysis of interferometers for wave–particle duality test and the prospect of going beyond the complementarity principle

李志远   

  1. Laboratory of Optical Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
  • 收稿日期:2014-09-02 修回日期:2014-09-09 出版日期:2014-11-15 发布日期:2014-11-15
  • 基金资助:

    Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Ministry of Science and Technology of China, and Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Elementary analysis of interferometers for wave–particle duality test and the prospect of going beyond the complementarity principle

Li Zhi-Yuan (李志远)   

  1. Laboratory of Optical Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
  • Received:2014-09-02 Revised:2014-09-09 Online:2014-11-15 Published:2014-11-15
  • Contact: Li Zhi-Yuan E-mail:lizy@aphy.iphy.ac.cn
  • Supported by:

    Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Ministry of Science and Technology of China, and Chinese Academy of Sciences.

摘要:

A distinct method to show a quantum object behaving both as wave and as particle is proposed and described in some detail. We make a systematic analysis using the elementary methodology of quantum mechanics upon Young's two-slit interferometer and the Mach-Zehnder two-arm interferometer with the focus placed on how to measure the interference pattern (wave nature) and the which-way information (particle nature) of quantum objects. We design several schemes to simultaneously acquire the which-way information for an individual quantum object and the high-contrast interference pattern for an ensemble of these quantum objects by placing two sets of measurement instruments that are well separated in space and whose perturbation of each other is negligibly small within the interferometer at the same time. Yet, improper arrangement and cooperation of these two sets of measurement instruments in the interferometer would lead to failure of simultaneous observation of wave and particle behaviors. The internal freedoms of quantum objects could be harnessed to probe both the which-way information and the interference pattern for the center-of-mass motion. That quantum objects can behave beyond the wave-particle duality and the complementarity principle would stimulate new conceptual examination and exploration of quantum theory at a deeper level.

关键词: wave-particle duality, complementarity principle, atom interferometer

Abstract:

A distinct method to show a quantum object behaving both as wave and as particle is proposed and described in some detail. We make a systematic analysis using the elementary methodology of quantum mechanics upon Young's two-slit interferometer and the Mach-Zehnder two-arm interferometer with the focus placed on how to measure the interference pattern (wave nature) and the which-way information (particle nature) of quantum objects. We design several schemes to simultaneously acquire the which-way information for an individual quantum object and the high-contrast interference pattern for an ensemble of these quantum objects by placing two sets of measurement instruments that are well separated in space and whose perturbation of each other is negligibly small within the interferometer at the same time. Yet, improper arrangement and cooperation of these two sets of measurement instruments in the interferometer would lead to failure of simultaneous observation of wave and particle behaviors. The internal freedoms of quantum objects could be harnessed to probe both the which-way information and the interference pattern for the center-of-mass motion. That quantum objects can behave beyond the wave-particle duality and the complementarity principle would stimulate new conceptual examination and exploration of quantum theory at a deeper level.

Key words: wave-particle duality, complementarity principle, atom interferometer

中图分类号:  (Foundations of quantum mechanics; measurement theory)

  • 03.65.Ta
03.75.Dg (Atom and neutron interferometry) 42.50.Xa (Optical tests of quantum theory)