Photon Quantum Mechanics Experiments for Undergraduates

B. C. Melius, Enrique J. Galvez, Charles H. Holbrow

Ikuo Yamamoto, Minoru Shinoda

M. Beck, Ethan Dederick

We have developed a series of undergraduate teaching laboratories that explore some of the fundamentals of quantum mechanics. All of the experiments involve performing measurements on individual photons or entangled-photon pairs. The experiments include: "Proving" that light consists of photons, single-photon interference, and tests of local realism. We will describe the experiments, placing an emphasis on an experiment which measures the quantum-mechanical polarization state of a photon. This experiment explicitly demonstrates that measurements performed on one member of an entangled-photon pair effect the results of measurements of the other photon. We will also describe how we have integrated the experiments with our upper-level undergraduate quantum mechanics course.

Enrique J. Galvez

A matrix-based formalism is used to explain the results of undergraduate level quantum mechanics experiments with correlated photons. The article includes new variations of experiments and new results. A discussion of our experience with a correlated-photon laboratory component for an undergraduate course on quantum mechanics is presented.

M. Beck, Enrique J. Galvez

We describe several experiments which use individual photons and entangled photon pairs to explore fundamental aspects of quantum mechanics in an undergraduate teaching laboratory. These experiments include single photon interference and tests of local realism.

Peter Shadbolt, Jonathan C. F. Mathews, Anthony Laing +1 more