\textit{A priori} which-way information in quantum interference with unstable particles

DOI10.1016/J.PHYSLETA.2014.06.036MaRDI QIDQ480175zbMATHOpenAlexWikidataFDO

Authors Z. J. Rohrbach, D. E. Krause, E. Fischbach

Publication date 8 December 2014

Published in Physics Letters. A (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1407.6762

zbMATH Keywords

quantum interferenceunstable particleswhich-way information

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Quantum scattering theory (81U99) Other elementary particle theory in quantum theory (81V25)

Abstract: If an unstable particle used in a two-path interference experiment decays before reaching a detector, which-way information becomes available which reduces the detected interference fringe visibility $calV$. Here we argue that even when an unstable particle does {em not} decay while in the interferometer, {em a priori} which-way information is still available in the form of path predictability $calP$ which depends on the particle's decay rate $Gamma$. We further demonstrate that in a matter-wave Mach-Zehnder interferometer using an excited atom with an appropriately tuned cavity, $calP$ is related to $calV$ through the duality relation ${calP}^2+{calV}^2=1$.

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Cites work

• Bohr's complementarity relation and the violation of CP symmetry in the neutral kaon system
• Delayed-choice test of quantum complementarity with interfering single photons
• Introduction to quantum optics. From the semi-classical approach to quantized light.

Cited in

(2)

• Relativistic coupling of internal and centre of mass dynamics in classical and simple bound quantum mechanical systems
• Single-quantum interferometry: which-way versus which-phase information stored in an ancillary quantum system

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