Can a dove prism change the past of a single photon?

DOI10.1007/S40509-015-0044-8zbMATH Open1321.81071arXiv1501.01287OpenAlexW1640934153MaRDI QIDQ498153FDOQ498153

Authors: Miguel A. Alonso, Andrew N. Jordan 

Publication date: 25 September 2015

Published in: Quantum Studies: Mathematics and Foundations (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: We reexamine the thought experiment and real experiment of Vaidman et al., by placing Dove prisms in the nested Mach-Zehnder interferometer arms. In those previous works, the criterion of whether a single photon was present, or not, was the presence of a "weak trace", indicating the presence of a nonzero weak value. This was verified by slightly varying the mirror angle at a given frequency, which was then detected on a position sensitive detector at the oscillation frequency. We show the presence of the Dove prisms gives identical weak values everywhere to the previous configuration because the prisms change neither the path difference, nor the mode profile in the aligned case. Nevertheless, the same slight variations of the interferometer mirrors now give a signal at the first mirror of the nested interferometer. We can interpret this result as a misaligned optical interferometer, whose detailed response depends on the stability of the elements, or as the detector coupling to a nonzero effective weak value.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1501.01287

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zbMATH Keywords

quantum foundationsretrodiction

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Quantum optics (81V80) General and philosophical questions in quantum theory (81P05)

Cites Work

• A Suggested Interpretation of the Quantum Theory in Terms of "Hidden" Variables. I
• Title not available (Why is that?)
• Quantum Cheshire cats
• Position measurements in the de Broglie-Bohm interpretation of quantum mechanics
• Counterfactuality of `counterfactual' communication

Cited In (6)

• Counterfactuality of `counterfactual' communication
• Comment on `Two-state vector formalism and quantum interference'
• Where is a photon in an interferometer?
• Reply to the comment on `Two-state vector formalism and quantum interference'
• Do weak values capture the complete truth about the past of a quantum particle?
• Asking photons where they have been in plain language

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