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arXiv:2507.04935

Contextual Light-Particle Interference

Brian Stout

Published Jul 7, 2025• 0 citations
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Abstract

We propose and analyze a generalized model of photodetection in which the detector couples simultaneously to both electric and magnetic components of the electromagnetic field. Extending Glauber's seminal theory, we show that such detectors, now experimentally feasible via meta-materials, can yield interference patterns that depend strongly on the internal response of the detector. In particular, we show that for a two-source interference setup, coherent electric-magnetic dipole coupling can suppress or enhance interference visibility, revealing a clear instance of measurement contextuality in quantum optics, where the outcome depends on how the system is probed.

DOI
10.48550/arxiv.2507.04935

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We propose and analyze a generalized model of photodetection in which the detector couples simultaneously to both electric and magnetic components of the electromagnetic field. Extending Glauber's seminal theory, we show that such detectors, now experimentally feasible via meta-materials, can yield interference patterns that depend strongly on the internal response of the detector. In particular, we show that for a two-source interference setup, coherent electric-magnetic dipole coupling can suppress or enhance interference visibility, revealing a clear instance of measurement contextuality in quantum optics, where the outcome depends on how the system is probed.
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Contextuality is considered as an intrinsic signature of nonclassicality and a crucial resource for achieving unique advantages of quantum information processing. However, recently, there have been debates on whether classical fields may also demonstrate contextuality. Here, we experimentally configure a contextuality test for optical fields, adopting various definitions of measurement events, and analyze how the definitions affect the emergence of nonclassical correlations. The heralded single-photon state, which is a typical nonclassical light field, manifests contextuality in our setup; whereas contextuality for classical coherent fields strongly depends on the specific definition of measurement events, which is equivalent to filtering the nonclassical component of the input state. Our results highlight the importance of the definition of measurement events to demonstrate contextuality, and they link the contextual correlations to nonclassicality defined by quasiprobabilities in phase space.
We review different attempts to show the decoherence process in double-slit-like experiments both for charged particles (electrons) and for neutral particles with permanent dipole moments. Interference is studied when electrons or atomic systems are coupled to classical or quantum electromagnetic fields. The interaction between the particles and time-dependent fields induces a time-varying Aharonov phase. Averaging over the phase generates a suppression of fringe visibility in the interference pattern. We show that, for suitable experimental conditions, the loss of contrast for dipoles can be almost as large as the corresponding one for coherent electrons and therefore can be observed. We analyse different trajectories in order to show the dependence of the decoherence factor on the velocity of the particles.
Contextuality is thought of as an intrinsic signature of non-classicality, and a crucial resource for achieving unique advantages of quantum information processing. However, recently there have been debates on whether classical fields may also demonstrate contextuality. Here we experimentally test a fundamental non-contextual (NC) inequality with both quantum and classical optical systems. In particular, we apply identical measurements on both systems, therefore provide a unified comparison between them. The results show that although the quantum system provides a clear violation of the NC inequality, the violations with the classical system strongly depend on the specific definition of the measurement event which is equivalent to filtering the non-classical component of the input state. Our results link the contextual correlations to non-classical quasi-distributions of optical states, and elucidate the resources required for classical systems to achieve the quantum bound.
Light scattered by a regular structure of atoms can exhibit interference signatures, similar to the classical double-slit. These first-order interferences, however, vanish for strong light intensities, restricting potential applications. Here, we show how to overcome these limitations to quantum interference in strong fields. First, we recover the first-order interference in strong fields via a tailored electromagnetic bath with a suitable frequency dependence. At strong driving, the optical properties for different spectral bands are distinct, thus extending the set of observables. We further show that for a two-photon detector as, e.g., in lithography, increasing the field intensity leads to twice the spatial resolution of the second-order interference pattern compared to the weak-field case.
We investigate how the temporal coherence interference properties of light in a Michelson-Morley interferometer (MMI), using only a single-photon detector, can be understood in a quantum-optics framework in a straightforward and pedagogical manner. For this purpose we make use of elementary quantum field theory and Glaubers theory for photon detection in order to calculate the expected interference pattern in the MMI. If a thermal reference source is used in the MMI local oscillator port in combination with a thermal source in the signal port, the interference pattern revealed by such an intensity measurement shows a distinctive dependence on the differences in the temperature of the two sources. The MMI can therefore be used in order to perform temperature measurements. A related method was actually used to carry out high precision measurements of the cosmic micro-wave background radiation on board of the COBE satellite. The theoretical framework allows us to consider any initial quantum state. The interference of single photons as a tool to determine the angular peak-frequency of a one-photon pulse interfering with a single-photon reference pulse is, e.g., considered. A similar consideration for coherent laser pulses leads to a different response in the detector. The MMI experimental setup is therefore in a sense an example of an optical device where one can exhibit the difference between classical and quantum-mechanical light using only intensity measurements.