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The Chemical Educator

Illustrating the Superposition Principle with Single-Photon Interference

Frank Rioux

Published Nov 17, 2005• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Single-photon interference in a Mach–Zehnder interferometer is used to illustrate the superposition principle. Three methods of analysis of an historically important experiment are presented at a level appropriate for an undergraduate course in quantum chemistry or physics. The importance of the superposition principle in chemistry is also discussed.

DOI
10.1333/s00897050977a

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Single-photon interference in a Mach–Zehnder interferometer is used to illustrate the superposition principle. Three methods of analysis of an historically important experiment are presented at a level appropriate for an undergraduate course in quantum chemistry or physics. The importance of the superposition principle in chemistry is also discussed.
We describe a series of experiments used in a sophomore-level quantum physics course that are designed to provide students with a hands-on introduction to quantum mechanics. By measuring correlations, we demonstrate that a helium-neon laser produces results consistent with a classical model of light. We then demonstrate that a light source derived from a spontaneous parametric down-conversion process produces results that can only be described using a quantum theory of light, thus providing a (nearly) single-photon source. These single photons are then sent into a Mach–Zehnder interferometer, and interference fringes are observed whenever the path of the photons cannot be determined. These experiments are investigated theoretically using straightforward quantum-mechanical calculations.
We have developed a which-way experiment using visible light that is completely analogous to a recent experiment involving which-way measurement in atom interference. This simple experiment, easily accessible to undergraduate students and the resources of undergraduate departments, facilitates the examination of the key elements of which-way measurement, quantum erasure, and related mysteries of quantum measurement. The experiment utilizes a Mach–Zehnder interferometer, and visually demonstrates the loss of interference fringes when a which-way measurement is imposed, and the restoration of that pattern when the which-way information is destroyed. This device is also sensitive enough to observe interference fringes arising from single photons. We present a simple analysis of the interference appropriate for the coherent classical field limit and the single photon limit at a level accessible to undergraduates. We also briefly mention related issues on the nature of the photon.
Abstract The superposition states, allowed by quantum theory, are dramatically diverse with respect to classical states and represent the true quantum states. By using a Mach-Zehnder interferometer we experimentally show how a single photon in a polarization superposition state can produce interference. The experimental setup includes a strongly attenuated laser source, polarizing beam splitters, half-waveplates, polarizers and single-photon detectors. The experimental activity has been performed with high-school students and teachers in several different contexts.
This article explores the use of interferometry experiments, focusing on the Mach-Zehnder interferometer, as a didactic tool for teaching fundamental concepts of quantum physics, such as wave-particle duality, superposition, and interference. Using the interactive simulation “Interferometer experiments with photons, particles and waves” from the University of St Andrews, we demonstrate how different models – classical particles, electromagnetic waves, and single photons – can be applied to describe the observed phenomena, facilitating the understanding of the distinctions between the classical and quantum views of nature. The comparative analysis of the simulated experimental results serves as a basis for in-depth conceptual discussions in the classroom, making quantum physics more accessible and intuitive for high school and university students.