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Physical Review Physics Education Research

Investigating and improving student understanding of quantum mechanics in the context of single photon interference

Emily Marshman, Chandralekha Singh

Published Apr 14, 2017• 73 citations
Publisher

Abstract

A research-based interactive learning tutorial on the Mach-Zehnder interferometer with single photons helps students to explain the interference phenomena of a single photon, and correctly reason about the collapse of a photon state.
DOI
10.1103/physrevphyseducres.13.010117

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At Vetenskapens Hus there is an exhibition where single photon interference is demonstrated for younger students, using a Mach Zehnder interferometer, to arouse their interest in physics. This report describes the work done to improve the interferometer for this exhibition by making it user-friendly, less exposed to the risk of handler errors and to create a more interesting experience for the students. In order to accomplish this, custom electronics were made by hand and a user interface was created using LabView. Also, a manual was prepared for the staff at Vetenskapens Hus with instructions of how to work the components of the system and how to align the interferometer correctly.

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The ability to use concepts learned in one context to solve problems in a different context (i.e., transfer of learning) is often one of the major goals of physics instruction. After all, the ability to transfer learning from one context to another is a prerequisite to recognizing the applicability of compact physical laws to a multitude of contexts and is a hallmark of expertise in physics. The majority of the studies on transfer of learning in physics have focused on introductory students and it has often been found that introductory students have difficulty in effectively transferring their learning and applying what they learned in one situation to another situation. However, compared to advanced students, introductory students have significantly less prior relevant knowledge and skills, which may be crucial for promoting effective transfer. Here, we examine upper-level undergraduate and graduate students' ability to transfer their learning about the concept of “which-path” information and its relation to whether or not interference is observed from the context of the Mach Zehnder interferometer (MZI) to a new context of the double-slit experiment (DSE). Students worked through a tutorial on the MZI in which they learned to use the concept of which-path information to reason about interference of single photons when polarizers with various orientations are placed in one or both paths of the MZI. After working on the MZI tutorial, students were asked similar questions in the isomorphic context of the DSE before any instruction about the DSE and we examined the extent to which transfer of learning about which-path information occurred from the MZI to the DSE context. We find evidence suggesting that positive transfer of learning from the MZI to the DSE occurred despite the lack of an instructional intervention designed to help students recognize the similarity between the two contexts. The effectiveness of the MZI tutorial in promoting positive transfer of learning from one context to another in quantum mechanics sheds light on the expertise of the advanced physics students. Instructors of advanced physics courses can take advantage of the findings presented here, which show the difference between introductory and advanced physics students' expertise and ability to transfer from one context to another.
At Vetenskapens Hus there is an exhibition where single photon interference is demonstrated for younger students, using a Mach Zehnder interferometer, to arouse their interest in physics. This report describes the work done to improve the interferometer for this exhibition by making it user-friendly, less exposed to the risk of handler errors and to create a more interesting experience for the students. In order to accomplish this, custom electronics were made by hand and a user interface was created using LabView. Also, a manual was prepared for the staff at Vetenskapens Hus with instructions of how to work the components of the system and how to align the interferometer correctly.