Title :
Complementarity and which-path information
Author :
Yoon-Ho Kim ; Kulik, S.P. ; Yanhua Shih
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Phys., Maryland Univ., Baltimore, MD, USA
Abstract :
summary form only given. Complementarity is one of the most basic principles of quantum mechanics. A quantum mechanical object, be it a photon or a massive particle, shows position (particle-like) or momentum (wave-like) attributes exclusively depending on the experimental situation. Over the years, Young´s two slit experiment has been emphasized as a good example of complementarity. We report a set of two-slit experiments in which complementarity is enforced by availability of which-path information at the measurement stage of the quantum. The first experimental schematic use type-II BBO crystal is pumped by a CW UV laser generating spontaneous parametric down-conversion. Entangled signal and idler photons are then sent in different directions. A double slit is placed in the idler beam and the idler detectors are scanned in the transverse direction.
Keywords :
barium compounds; optical frequency conversion; optical materials; optical parametric devices; optical pumping; quantum optics; BBO; BaB2O4; CW UV laser; Young´s two slit experiment; complementarity; double slit; entangled idler photons; entangled signal photons; idler beam; idler detectors; massive particle; measurement stage; momentum attributes; particle-like attributes; photon; position attributes; quantum; quantum mechanical object; quantum mechanics; spontaneous parametric down-conversion; transverse direction; two-slit experiments; wave-like attributes; which-path information; Amplitude modulation; Bandwidth; Filters; Interference; Phase detection; Physics; Rail to rail outputs; Uncertainty;
Conference_Titel :
Quantum Electronics Conference, 2000. Conference Digest. 2000 International
Conference_Location :
Nice, France
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-6318-3
DOI :
10.1109/IQEC.2000.907993