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Europhysics Letters (EPL)

Comment on “Experimental Evidence for a Photon Anticorrelation Effect on a Beam Splitter: a New Light on Single-Photon Interferences”

Trevor W. Marshall, Emilio Santos

Published Feb 1, 1987• 19 citations
Publisher

Abstract

A recent experiment by Grangier, Roger and Aspect is discussed. It is shown that, contrary to the too general claim by the authors, the results are compatible with classical wave models of light, where the transmissivity itself is a stochastic variable. A statistical analysis of the data reported proves that a repetition of the experiment with slightly better statistics will be enough to test quantum optics against a class of stochastic wave theories of light.

DOI
10.1209/0295-5075/3/3/007

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Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE•Oct 1, 2013•1 citation
A recent experiment by Grangier, Roger and Aspect is discussed. It is shown that, contrary to the too general claim by the authors, the results are compatible with classical wave models of light, where the transmissivity itself is a stochastic variable. A statistical analysis of the data reported proves that a repetition of the experiment with slightly better statistics will be enough to test quantum optics against a class of stochastic wave theories of light.
We report on two experiments using an atomic cascade as a light source, and a triggered detection scheme for the second photon of the cascade. The first experiment shows a strong anticorrelation between the triggered detections on both sides of a beam splitter. This result is in contradiction with any classical wave model of light, but in agreement with a quantum description involving single-photon states. The same source and detection scheme were used in a second experiment, where we have observed interferences with a visibility over 98%.
The production of maxima and minima by the superposition of two or more light signals provides fundamental support for the wave nature of light. This result is based on the study of wave interference phenomena which remains the only approach to explain the production of those maxima and minima. In a system that is prepared to work with only one photon at a time, any detector can signal only one or zero. In 1986, a rigorously controlled experiment was designed by Grangier, G. Roger, and A. Aspect, [Europhys Lett. 1(4), p. 173, 1986] that guaranteed a single-photon beam. The explanation of the experimental results implied the interference of the wave function of a single-photon with itself. Thus, the explanation of interference that is accepted for an ensemble of photons was assumed to be valid for a single photon. In this study, we prepare a Mach-Zehnder interferometer using the same type of beam splitters used by Grangier et al. to test the assumption mentioned above. Our results allow us to explain the results of Grangier et al. because of the interaction between light and the beam splitters. Our results also verify that their wave interpretation of the results is not valid. Here, we present the essential findings of the extensive experimental evidence that supports our ideas.
In a recent paper [quant-ph/0607008] Lapaire and Sipe argue that one can discuss interference experiments using entangled photons in terms of single photon wave functions. Furthermore, they argue that contrary to the claim of the authors of the postponed compensation experiment [2], the single photon wave functions overlap on the beam splitter when interference is observed. In this comment, we show that the claim in [2] is correct and we argue that the idea of single photon wave functions in entangled states is misleading.
Critical analysis is given for mystical aspects of the current understanding of interaction between charged particles: wave-particle duality and nonlocal entanglement. A possible statistical effect concerning distribution functions for coincidences between the output channels of beam splitters is described. If this effect is observed in beam splitter data, ten significant evidence for photon splitting, i.e. , against the notion that light is ultimately packaged in finite chunks, has been found. An argument is given for the invalidity of the meaning attached to tests of Bell inequalities. Additionally, a totally classical paradigm for the calculation of the customary expression for the “quantum” coincidence coefficient pertaining to the singlet state is described. If fully accounts for the results of experimental tests of Bell inequalities taken nowadays to prove the reality of entanglement and non-locality in quantum phenomena of, inter alia, light. Described. It fully accounts for the results of experimental tests of Bell inequalities take n nowadays to prove the reality of entanglement and non-locality in quantum phenomena of inter alia, light.