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

arXiv:quant-ph/9810016 · Fortschritte der Physik

Consistent Histories and Quantum Delayed Choice

Robert B. Griffiths

Published Nov 1, 1998• 1 citation
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

John Wheeler devised a gedanken experiment in which a piece of apparatus can be altered just before the arrival of particle, and this “delayed choice” can, seemingly, alter the quantum state of the particle at a much earlier time, long before the choice is made. A slightly different gedanken experiment, which exhibits the same conceptual difficulty, is analyzed using the techniques of consistent history quantum theory. The idea that the future influences the past disappears when proper account is taken of the diversity of possible quantum descriptions of the world, and their mutual compatibility or incompatibility.

DOI
10.1002/(sici)1521-3978(199811)46:6/8<741::aid-prop741>3.0.co;2-d

Related papers

Consistent Histories and Quantum Delayed Choice

Robert B. Griffiths

John Wheeler devised a gedanken experiment in which a piece of apparatus can be altered just before the arrival of particle, and this “delayed choice ” can, seemingly, alter the quantum state of the particle at a much earlier time, long before the choice is made. A slightly different gedanken experiment, which exhibits the same conceptual difficulty, is analyzed using the techniques of consistent history quantum theory. The idea that the future influences the past disappears when proper account is taken of the diversity of possible quantum descriptions of the world, and their mutual compatibility or incompatibility. John Wheeler proposed a delayed-choice experiment in which the second beam splitter of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer is or is not removed at the very last instant before a photon reaches it and passes out of the interferometer [1]. A modified version which exhibits essentially the same paradox is shown in Fig. 1. A photon enters the interferometer through channel a, and two detectors in the c and d arms are either (a) left in position, or (b) removed just before the photon reaches (one of) them, so that it is free to proceed on to the second

•Jan 1, 1998•5 citations

Session F: Contributed Oral Papers – F4: Theory: A non-QM explanation of Jacques' (2007) ``Wheeler gedanken experiment with delayed choice,'' without delayed choice

Jeffrey H. Boyd

The publication in Science in 2007 of Jacques et al ``Experimental realization of Wheeler's delayed-choice gedanken experiment,'' appears to demonstrate many counter-intuitive ideas. The solidity of those conclusions depends on whether quantum mechanics (QM) provides the ONLY available explanation of the experiment. By thinking outside the box we have arrived at a different explanation of that experiment. QM is the box outside of which we think, not because of criticism of QM, but in order to explore an unconventional viewpoint. Our explanation is based on elementary waves. We find no delayed choice. What appears to be delayed choice is an illusion. We also find local cause and effect. This does not prove that our way of thinking is correct. It simply means that we propose an alternative explanation of the experiment that does not lead to all those counter-intuitive ideas.

•Nov 19, 2011•0 citations

On the interpretation of Delayed Choice Quantum Experiments

Padmanabhan Murali

Experimental realization of Gedanken experiments on Quantum Mechanics continue to suggest inferences of action at a distance, action into the future or past as reported in Delayed choice Quantum entanglement experiments recently by Ma et al (2012). Is it possible to read through this and investigate through simple logic and experiments whether control of the past or future is possible? A set of experiments are suggested here to do the same whose results may be interesting. Gedanken experiments on Quantum Mechanics principles Einstein, Podolsky and Rosen (Einstein et al, 1935) were the first to suggest a Gedanken experiment which would suggest instant communication over a distance between particles which was against the principle of Special

•Feb 1, 2015•0 citations

Delayed-choice gedanken experiments and their realizations

Xiao‐Song Ma, Johannes Kofler, Anton Zeilinger

Wave-particle duality lies at the root of quantum mechanics and is central in the description of interferences observed with elementary objects. In a delayed-choice experiment, the decision to observe the particle or wave character of a quantum system is delayed with respect to the time at which the system enters the interferometer. This paper reviews the history of the delayed-choice idea, introduced as a challenge to a realistic explanation of the wave-particle duality. It also describes recent experimental realizations of this idea and discusses intriguing extensions, such as the duality between separability and entanglement in multiple quantum systems.

arXiv:1407.2930•Reviews of Modern Physics•Mar 3, 2016•222 citations

Experimental realization of Wheeler’s delayed-choice Gedanken Experiment

V. Jacques, E Wu, Frédéric Grosshans +4 more

Wheeler’s gedanken experiment is the most fascinating and subtle illustration of wave-particle duality [1]. If we consider a single-photon light pulse in a Mach-Zehnder interferometer, one can either measure the interference at the output – evidencing the “wave-like” behavior of the photon- or one can detect the path followed by the photon – evidencing its “particle-like” behavior. In order to pinpoint how surprising this is, John Wheeler considered a “delayed-choice” regime where the choice of measuring either property is done only after the photon has entered the interferometer.

The Rochester Conferences on Coherence and Quantum Optics and the Quantum Information and Measurement meeting•Jan 1, 2007•6 citations

A Quantum Delayed-Choice Experiment

Alberto Peruzzo, Peter Shadbolt, Nicolas Brunner +2 more

Delaying Quantum Choice Photons can display wavelike or particle-like behavior, depending on the experimental technique used to measure them. Understanding this duality lies at the heart of quantum mechanics. In two reports, Peruzzo et al. (p. 634 ) and Kaiser et al. (p. 637 ; see the Perspective on both papers by Lloyd ) perform an entangled version of John Wheeler's delayed-choice gedanken experiment, in which the choice of detection can be changed after a photon passes through a double-slit to avoid the measurement process affecting the state of the photon. The original proposal allowed the wave and particle nature of light to be interchanged after the light had entered the interferometer. By contrast in this study, entanglement allowed the wave and particle nature to be interchanged after the light was detected and revealed the quantum nature of the photon, for example, it displays wave- and particle-like behavior simultaneously.

arXiv:1205.4926•Science•Nov 1, 2012•262 citations
John Wheeler devised a gedanken experiment in which a piece of apparatus can be altered just before the arrival of particle, and this “delayed choice” can, seemingly, alter the quantum state of the particle at a much earlier time, long before the choice is made. A slightly different gedanken experiment, which exhibits the same conceptual difficulty, is analyzed using the techniques of consistent history quantum theory. The idea that the future influences the past disappears when proper account is taken of the diversity of possible quantum descriptions of the world, and their mutual compatibility or incompatibility.
John Wheeler devised a gedanken experiment in which a piece of apparatus can be altered just before the arrival of particle, and this “delayed choice ” can, seemingly, alter the quantum state of the particle at a much earlier time, long before the choice is made. A slightly different gedanken experiment, which exhibits the same conceptual difficulty, is analyzed using the techniques of consistent history quantum theory. The idea that the future influences the past disappears when proper account is taken of the diversity of possible quantum descriptions of the world, and their mutual compatibility or incompatibility. John Wheeler proposed a delayed-choice experiment in which the second beam splitter of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer is or is not removed at the very last instant before a photon reaches it and passes out of the interferometer [1]. A modified version which exhibits essentially the same paradox is shown in Fig. 1. A photon enters the interferometer through channel a, and two detectors in the c and d arms are either (a) left in position, or (b) removed just before the photon reaches (one of) them, so that it is free to proceed on to the second
The publication in Science in 2007 of Jacques et al ``Experimental realization of Wheeler's delayed-choice gedanken experiment,'' appears to demonstrate many counter-intuitive ideas. The solidity of those conclusions depends on whether quantum mechanics (QM) provides the ONLY available explanation of the experiment. By thinking outside the box we have arrived at a different explanation of that experiment. QM is the box outside of which we think, not because of criticism of QM, but in order to explore an unconventional viewpoint. Our explanation is based on elementary waves. We find no delayed choice. What appears to be delayed choice is an illusion. We also find local cause and effect. This does not prove that our way of thinking is correct. It simply means that we propose an alternative explanation of the experiment that does not lead to all those counter-intuitive ideas.
Experimental realization of Gedanken experiments on Quantum Mechanics continue to suggest inferences of action at a distance, action into the future or past as reported in Delayed choice Quantum entanglement experiments recently by Ma et al (2012). Is it possible to read through this and investigate through simple logic and experiments whether control of the past or future is possible? A set of experiments are suggested here to do the same whose results may be interesting. Gedanken experiments on Quantum Mechanics principles Einstein, Podolsky and Rosen (Einstein et al, 1935) were the first to suggest a Gedanken experiment which would suggest instant communication over a distance between particles which was against the principle of Special
Wave-particle duality lies at the root of quantum mechanics and is central in the description of interferences observed with elementary objects. In a delayed-choice experiment, the decision to observe the particle or wave character of a quantum system is delayed with respect to the time at which the system enters the interferometer. This paper reviews the history of the delayed-choice idea, introduced as a challenge to a realistic explanation of the wave-particle duality. It also describes recent experimental realizations of this idea and discusses intriguing extensions, such as the duality between separability and entanglement in multiple quantum systems.
Wheeler’s gedanken experiment is the most fascinating and subtle illustration of wave-particle duality [1]. If we consider a single-photon light pulse in a Mach-Zehnder interferometer, one can either measure the interference at the output – evidencing the “wave-like” behavior of the photon- or one can detect the path followed by the photon – evidencing its “particle-like” behavior. In order to pinpoint how surprising this is, John Wheeler considered a “delayed-choice” regime where the choice of measuring either property is done only after the photon has entered the interferometer.
Delaying Quantum Choice Photons can display wavelike or particle-like behavior, depending on the experimental technique used to measure them. Understanding this duality lies at the heart of quantum mechanics. In two reports, Peruzzo et al. (p. 634 ) and Kaiser et al. (p. 637 ; see the Perspective on both papers by Lloyd ) perform an entangled version of John Wheeler's delayed-choice gedanken experiment, in which the choice of detection can be changed after a photon passes through a double-slit to avoid the measurement process affecting the state of the photon. The original proposal allowed the wave and particle nature of light to be interchanged after the light had entered the interferometer. By contrast in this study, entanglement allowed the wave and particle nature to be interchanged after the light was detected and revealed the quantum nature of the photon, for example, it displays wave- and particle-like behavior simultaneously.