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arXiv:1802.10370 · Quantum

Quantum Interference of Force

Raul Corrêa, Marina F. B. Cenni, Pablo L. Saldanha

Published Dec 14, 2018• 3 citations
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Abstract

We show that a quantum particle subjected to a positive force in one path of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer and a null force in the other path may receive a negative average momentum transfer when it leaves the interferometer by a particular exit. In this scenario, an ensemble of particles may receive an average momentum in the opposite direction of the applied force due to quantum interference, a behavior with no classical analogue. We discuss some experimental schemes that could verify the effect with current technology, with electrons or neutrons in Mach-Zehnder interferometers in free space and with atoms from a Bose-Einstein condensate.

DOI
10.22331/q-2018-12-14-112

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We show that a quantum particle subjected to a positive force in one path of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer and a null force in the other path may receive a negative average momentum transfer when it leaves the interferometer by a particular exit. In this scenario, an ensemble of particles may receive an average momentum in the opposite direction of the applied force due to quantum interference, a behavior with no classical analogue. We discuss some experimental schemes that could verify the effect with current technology, with electrons or neutrons in Mach-Zehnder interferometers in free space and with atoms from a Bose-Einstein condensate.
In this work we experimentally demonstrate the quantum interference of force effect using pairs of entangled photons. Although photons are massless particles, they have linear momentum, and our experiments show that the quantum superposition of a positive momentum transfer with a null momentum transfer may result in a negative momentum transfer to an ensemble of quantum particles (photons), a behavior with no classical analogue. The momentum transfer to each photon is defined by the result of a polarization measurement performed in a second photon, initially entangled with it.
We show how, with the use of quantum interference, we can violate, in some sense, the rule that charges of equal sign always repel each other. By considering two electrons that propagate parallel to each other in a Mach-Zehnder interferometer, we show that the quantum superposition of the electrostatic repulsion when the electrons propagate in the same path with the absence of interaction when they propagate in opposite paths may result in an effective attraction between them, when we post-select by which port each electron leaves the interferometer. We also discuss an experimental setup that could be used to verify such an effect.
The phenomenon of interference lies at the heart of quantum physics, and is responsible for many of the unusual aspects of quantum behaviour that deviate from our everyday expectations. Though classical physics allows for waves (e.g. of sound) to interfere, quantum theory allows for interference effects also to affect single particles. One device that demonstrates this experimentally is the Mach-Zehnder interferometer: here a single particle (e.g. a photon) travels down one of two possible paths, and quantum interference between the two paths affects the final position where the particle arrives. In this article, I propose a mechanism to musically demonstrate quantum single-particle interference: the musical Mach-Zehnder interferometer. This new quantum musical instrument makes use of two independently operated electronic keyboards, whose outputs are interfered according to the rules of the Mach-Zehnder interferometer. I discuss the musical possibilities this instrument enables, and outline a method to construct it via software simulation.
The article examines the wave and corpuscular nature of quantum objects using the example of the Mach–Zehnder interferometer and discusses the possibility of the so-called “supertunnel effect”. It is shown how the behavior of a photon in an interferometer is determined not by switching between a wave and a particle, but by the preservation or loss of coherence of its quantum amplitude. Key mechanisms are analyzed: formation of superposition at the beam splitter, interference from coherent amplitude recombination, decoherence induced by path information leakage, and recovery of interference in quantum-eraser schemes. Analogous phenomena for electrons, neutrons, atoms and large molecules are discussed, with attention to dominant decoherence sources (collisions, thermal radiation, internal degrees of freedom) and the shrinking de Broglie wavelength of massive objects. The influence of mass, momentum and barrier parameters on tunneling probability is treated, and practical strategies to enhance tunneling (barrier engineering, resonant tunneling, collective effects, and reducing effective mass) are outlined. The conclusion is that quantum laws are universal: wave-like and particle-like manifestations depend on the experimental context and coherence preservation rather than an intrinsic conversion of the object. The concept of “supertunneling” is framed as potentially realizable only if decoherence and exponential suppression can be overcome, with suggested routes for experimental pursuit.
Abstract A re-visitation of the well known free space Mach-Zehnder interferometer is reported here. The coexistence between one-photon and two-photons interference from collinear color entangled photon pairs is investigated. Thisarises from an arbitrarily small unbalance in the arm transmittance. The tuning of such asymmetry is reflected in dramatic changes in the coincidence detection, revealing beatings between one particle and two particle interference patterns. In particular, the role of the losses and of the intrinsic phase imperfectness of the lossy beamsplitter are explored in a single-port excited Mach-Zehnder interferometer. This configuration is especially useful for quantum optics on a chip, where the guiding geometry forces photons to travel in the same spatial mode.
Quantum interference is typically detected through the dependence of the interference signal on certain parameters (path length, Aharonov-Bohm flux, etc.), which can be varied in a controlled manner. The destruction of interference by a which-path measurement is a paradigmatic manifestation of quantum effects. Here we report on a novel measurement protocol that realizes two objectives: (i) certifying that a measured signal is the result of interference avoiding the need to vary parameters of the underlying interferometer, and (ii) certifying that the interference signal at hand is of quantum nature. In particular, it yields a null outcome in the case of classical interference. Our protocol comprises measurements of cross-correlations between the readings of which-path weakly coupled detectors positioned at the respective interferometer's arms and the current in one of the interferometer's drains. We discuss its implementation with an experimentally available platform: an electronic Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) coupled electrostatically to "detectors" (quantum point contacts).