Cross-Double-Slit Experiment and Extended-Mach-Zehnder Interferometer

J. Acácio de Barros, Gary Oas, Patrick Suppes

In this paper we attempt to establish a theory of negative (quasi) probability distributions from fundamental principles and apply it to the study of the double-slit experiment in quantum mechanics. We do so in a way that preserves the main conceptual issues intact but allow for a clearer analysis, by representing the double-slit experiment in terms of the Mach-Zehnder interferometer, and show that the main features of quantum systems relevant to the double-slit are present also in the Mach-Zehnder. This converts the problem from a continuous to a discrete random variable representation. We then show that, for the Mach-Zehnder interferometer, negative probabilities do not exist that are consistent with interference and which-path information, contrary to what Feynman believed. However, consistent with Scully et al.'s experiment, if we reduce the amount of experimental information about the system and rely on counterfactual reasoning, a joint negative probability distribution can be constructed for the Mach-Zehnder experiment.

Diane Riendeau

Siddhant Das, Dirk-André Deckert, Leopold Kellers +2 more

V A Kuz`Menko

There is independent experimental evidence in favor of conspiracy theory in the explanation of the physical nature of quantum interference in experiments with slits and interferometers.

S. Rajasekar, R. Velusamy

In the 17th century, there existed two theories of light, namely, the wave theory of Huygens and the corpuscular theory of Newton. At the beginning of 19th century Thomas Young demonstrated the wave character of light using diffraction experiments. James Clerk Maxwell developed his electromagnetic wave equation and showed that light is an electromagnetic wave. This chapter considers a Mach–Zehnder interferometer experiment, an equivalent experiment of the double slit experiment. To test whether light priorily get the information about the experimental set up in the double slit experiment John Archibald Wheeler proposed a gedanken delayed-choice experiment with the Mach–Zehnder interferometer. This thought experiment was then realized experimentally using various systems. An experiment was proposed to observe simultaneously both particle and wave character of the quantum through quantum entanglement. In quantum mechanics the relative temporal order of measurement of events is not relevant.

S. Kosugi