Time-resolved double-slit interference pattern measurement with entangled photons

Published

April 28, 2014

Author(s)

Lynden K. Shalm, Thomas Jennewein, Kevin Resch, Piotr Kolenderski, Carmelo Scarcella, Kelsey D. Johnsen Johnsen, Deny Hamel, Cahterine Holloway, Simone Tisa, Alberto Tosi

Abstract

The double-slit experiment strikingly demonstrates the wave-particle duality of quantum objects. In this famous experiment, particles pass one-by-one through a pair of slits and are detected on a distant screen. A distinct wave-like pattern emerges after many discrete particle impacts as if each particle is passing through both slits and interfering with itself. Here we present a temporally- and spatially-resolved measurement of the double-slit interference pattern using single photons. We send single photons through a birefringent double-slit apparatus and use a linear array of single-photon detectors to observe the developing interference pattern. The analysis of the buildup allows us to compare quantum mechanics and the corpuscular model, which aims to explain the mystery of single- particle interference. Finally, we send one photon from an entangled pair through our double-slit setup and show the dependence of the resulting interference pattern on the twin photon's measured state. Our results provide new insight into the dynamics of the buildup process in the double-slit experiment, and can be used as a valuable resource in quantum information applications.

Citation

Nature

Volume

4

Pub Type

Journals

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.1038/srep04685

Keywords

Quantum mechanics, double-slit, foundations, detectors

Citation

Shalm, L. , Jennewein, T. , Resch, K. , Kolenderski, P. , Scarcella, C. , Johnsen, K. , Hamel, D. , Holloway, C. , Tisa, S. and Tosi, A. (2014), Time-resolved double-slit interference pattern measurement with entangled photons, Nature, [online], https://doi.org/10.1038/srep04685 (Accessed April 19, 2024)