Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Europhysics Letters (EPL)

Can Classical Wave Theory Explain the Photon Anticorrelation Effect on a Beam Splitter?

Lucién Hardy

Published Jul 15, 1991• 4 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Marshall and Santos have shown that the experiment of Grangier, Roger and Aspect to demonstrate a photon anticorrelation effect on a beam splitter is compatible with wave theory if the transmissivity is a stochastic variable. An inequality is derived which allows the results of this experiment to be compared with the results of an interference experiment. This inequality must be satisfied by classical wave models of light even with stochastic variation of the transmissivity and reflectance.

DOI
10.1209/0295-5075/15/6/005

Related papers

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

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.

Europhysics Letters (EPL)•Feb 1, 1987•19 citations

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

Philippe Grangier, G. Roger, Alain Aspect

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%.

Europhysics Letters (EPL)•Feb 15, 1986•984 citations

Single – Photon Interference with Thermally Excited Three – Level Cascade Atoms

A theoretical model is presented for a singlephoton interference experiment in a beam -splitter using the second photon in a cascade transition of a threelevel atomic system.A clear anticorrelation effect is found in the coincidences of photons on the two sides of the beam splitter that can only be explained by quantum theory of light .A qualitative comparison is made with an earlier singlephoton interference experiment available in literature.

University of Thi-Qar Journal of Science•May 12, 2019•0 citations

Single-Photon Interaction with Beam Splitters

Jose L. Parra

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.

Optics and Photonics Journal•Jan 1, 2018•1 citation

The GRA beam-splitter experiments and particle–wave duality of light

P. N. Kaloyerou

Grangier, Roger and Aspect (GRA) performed a beam-splitter experiment to demonstrate the particle behaviour of light and a Mach–Zehnder interferometer experiment to demonstrate the wave behaviour of light. The distinguishing feature of these experiments is the use of a gating system to produce near ideal single-photon states. With the demonstration of both wave and particle behaviour (in two mutually exclusive experiments) they claim to have demonstrated the dual particle–wave behaviour of light and hence to have confirmed Bohr's principle of complementarity. The demonstration of the wave behaviour of light is not in dispute. But we want to demonstrate, contrary to the claims of GRA, that their beam-splitter experiment does not conclusively confirm the particle behaviour of light, and hence does not confirm particle–wave duality, nor, more generally, does it confirm complementarity. Our demonstration consists of providing a detailed model based on the causal interpretation of quantum fields (CIEM), which does not involve the particle concept, of GRA's which-path experiment. We will also give a brief outline of a CIEM model for the second, interference, GRA experiment.

arXiv:quant-ph/0503201•Journal of Physics A Mathematical and General•Aug 29, 2006•11 citations

Hong-Ou-Mandel interference on a real beam splitter

Dmitry N. Makarov

Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) effect is known to be one of the main phenomena in quantum optics. The effect occurs when two identical single-photon waves enter a 1:1 beam splitter, one in each input port. When the photons are identical, they will extinguish each other. One of the main elements of the HOM interferometer is the beam splitter, which has its own coefficients of reflection $R = 1/2$ and transmission $ T = 1/2 $. In this work, the general mechanism of the interaction of two photons in a beam splitter is considered using an analytical solution, which shows that in the HOM theory of the effect it is necessary to know (including when planning the experiment) not only $ R = 1/2 $ and $ T = 1/2 $, but also their root-mean-square fluctuations $ ΔR ^ 2, ΔT ^ 2 $, which arise due to the dependence of $R = R(ω_1, ω_2) $ and $ T = T (ω_1, ω_2) $ on the frequencies where $ω_1, ω_2$ are the frequencies of the first and second photons, respectively. Under certain conditions, specifically when the dependence of the fluctuations $ ΔR^2 $ and $ ΔT^2 $ can be neglected and $ R=T=1/2 $ is chosen, the developed theory coincides with previously known results.

arXiv:2002.00443•Feb 2, 2020•0 citations
Marshall and Santos have shown that the experiment of Grangier, Roger and Aspect to demonstrate a photon anticorrelation effect on a beam splitter is compatible with wave theory if the transmissivity is a stochastic variable. An inequality is derived which allows the results of this experiment to be compared with the results of an interference experiment. This inequality must be satisfied by classical wave models of light even with stochastic variation of the transmissivity and reflectance.
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.
Grangier, Roger and Aspect (GRA) performed a beam-splitter experiment to demonstrate the particle behaviour of light and a Mach–Zehnder interferometer experiment to demonstrate the wave behaviour of light. The distinguishing feature of these experiments is the use of a gating system to produce near ideal single-photon states. With the demonstration of both wave and particle behaviour (in two mutually exclusive experiments) they claim to have demonstrated the dual particle–wave behaviour of light and hence to have confirmed Bohr's principle of complementarity. The demonstration of the wave behaviour of light is not in dispute. But we want to demonstrate, contrary to the claims of GRA, that their beam-splitter experiment does not conclusively confirm the particle behaviour of light, and hence does not confirm particle–wave duality, nor, more generally, does it confirm complementarity. Our demonstration consists of providing a detailed model based on the causal interpretation of quantum fields (CIEM), which does not involve the particle concept, of GRA's which-path experiment. We will also give a brief outline of a CIEM model for the second, interference, GRA experiment.
Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) effect is known to be one of the main phenomena in quantum optics. The effect occurs when two identical single-photon waves enter a 1:1 beam splitter, one in each input port. When the photons are identical, they will extinguish each other. One of the main elements of the HOM interferometer is the beam splitter, which has its own coefficients of reflection R=1/2R = 1/2R=1/2 and transmission $ T = 1/2 $. In this work, the general mechanism of the interaction of two photons in a beam splitter is considered using an analytical solution, which shows that in the HOM theory of the effect it is necessary to know (including when planning the experiment) not only $ R = 1/2 $ and $ T = 1/2 $, but also their root-mean-square fluctuations $ ΔR ^ 2, ΔT ^ 2 $, which arise due to the dependence of $R = R(ω_1, ω_2) $ and $ T = T (ω_1, ω_2) $ on the frequencies where ω1,ω2ω_1, ω_2ω1​,ω2​ are the frequencies of the first and second photons, respectively. Under certain conditions, specifically when the dependence of the fluctuations $ ΔR^2 $ and $ ΔT^2 $ can be neglected and $ R=T=1/2 $ is chosen, the developed theory coincides with previously known results.