Description of an experiment utilizing a Mach-Zehnder interferometer.
creator
LaPuma, Indhira A. (Class of 2000)
creator
Schneider, Mark B. (Faculty/Staff)
Title
A Simple Experiment for Discussion of Quantum Interference and Which-Way Measurement
supporting host
Grinnell College. Physics
Index Date
2002
Date (Other)
2002-03
Publisher
Grinnell College
Genre
Essays
Digital Origin
born digital
Extent
16 pages
Media Type
application/pdf
description
Motivated by a recent experiment involving which-way measurement in atom interference, we developed a completely analogous experiment using visible light. This simple experiment, easily accessible to undergraduate students and the resources of undergraduate departments, facilitates examination of the key elements of which-way measurement, quantum erasure and related mysteries of quantum measurement. The experiment utilizes a Mach-Zehnder interferometer, and visually demonstrates the loss of interference fringes when a which-way measurement is imposed, and the restoration of that pattern when the which-way information is destroyed. This device is also sensitive enough to observe interference fringes arising from single photons. At a level accessible to undergraduates, we present simple analyses of the interference appropriate for the coherent classical field limit, and the single photon limit. We briefly mention related issues of the nature of the photon, pointing to some useful references.
citation
Schneider, Mark B., and Indhira A. LaPuma. "A simple experiment for discussion of quantum interference and which-way measurement." American Journal of Physics 70.3 (2002): 266-271. ~ citation
Language
English
Topic
Study and teaching
Topic
Interference (Light)
Topic
Physical measurements
Topic
Physics
Classification
QC
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Liberal Arts Scholarly Repository
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Faculty Scholarship
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Student scholarship
Related Item
Scholarship at Grinnell
Related Item
Digital Grinnell
Identifier (hdl)
http://hdl.handle.net/11084/47
Identifier (local)
Grinnell:47
Access Condition
Copyright to this work is held by the author(s), in accordance with United States copyright law (USC 17). Readers of this work have certain rights as defined by the law, including but not limited to fair use (17 USC 107 et seq.).
