The two-prism experiment and wave-particle duality of light

Christian Cormier-Delanoue

Nakka Gurappa, S. Devashankar

Gary Anthes

Experiment sheds new light on wave-particle duality.

Fenghua Qi, Zhiyuan Wang, Weiwang Xu +2 more

Classical wisdom of wave–particle duality regulates that a quantum object shows either the particle or wave nature but never both. Consequently, it would be impossible to observe simultaneously the complete wave and particle nature of the quantum object. Mathematically the principle requests that the interference visibility V and which-path distinguishability D satisfy an orthodox limit of V 2 + D 2 ≤ 1 . The present work reports a new wave–particle duality test experiment using single photons in a modified Mach–Zehnder interferometer to demonstrate the possibility of breaking the limit. The key element of the interferometer is a weakly scattering total internal reflection prism surface, which exhibits a pronounced single-photon interference with a visibility of up to 0.97 and simultaneously provides a path distinguishability of 0.83. Apparently, the result of V 2 + D 2 ≈ 1.63 exceeds the orthodox limit set by the classical principle of wave–particle duality for single photons. We expect that more delicate experiments in the future should be able to demonstrate the ultimate limit of V 2 + D 2 ≈ 2 and shed new light on the foundations of contemporary quantum mechanics.

BI Si-wen

In the study of quantum remote sensing, quantum spectral imaging. Since the beginning of 2001, after three stages of basic theory, scientific experiment and key technology research, has made breakthrough progress and innovative results. With the deepening of the research work and needs, some basic theoretical issues and cutting-edge technical problems need to be explored and studied. This paper discusses wave-particle duality of light is one of the important content. In more than and 100 years, wave-particle duality of light as research has made important progress. But the wave-particle duality of light is like what? Wave-particle duality of light like mechanism is what? Has been the most intense debate on the issue of Optics and physicists. In this paper, the author firstly summarizes the wave-particle duality of light development history and present situation of the research study, describes the research ideas of wave-particle duality of light; on this basis, the author puts forward the application of lightstring concept focuses on the wave-particle duality of light phenomenological characteristic geometry shape and movement of the content; describes the wave-particle duality of light like generated string-light effect mechanism. To study the wave-particle duality of light like two, a profound understanding of wave-particle duality of light nature, put forward a new research method.

Peter W. Milonni