Complementarity Of One- And Two-Particle Interference

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In summary, the conversation discusses the difficulty in finding information on a phenomena related to downconverted light and interference. It is mentioned that in order to see both fringes and anti-fringes, coincidence detection is necessary. The use of polarization filters in front of the slits and sending an entangled beam to a diagonal polarization filter is mentioned as a way to create an additional pi phase shift. The problem of anti-fringes is said to come from the complementarity of one-particle and two-particle interference. The conversation then concludes with a request for a reference to a PDF discussing this topic.
  • #1
Erik Ayer
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Found a PDF on this, but it's a little beyond me
It seems to be quite difficult to find information on this phenomena, although there are a couple cases of people asking about it. From what I understand, if downconverted light is sent through something to create interference such as a double-slit or Mach-Zehnder interferometer, there will be both fringes and anti-fringes necessitating the use of coincidence detection. But what, physically, is happening?

If light is sent through a double-slit, getting an anti-interference pattern implies an additional pi phase shift between the slits. For a MAch Zehnder interferometer, there would need to be an extra pi phase shift in the two paths. The quantum eraser creates this through the use of polarization filters in front of the slits, and sending the entangled beam to a diagonal polarization filter, so that one kind of makes sense. From what I understand, the problem is more widespread in that there will always be anti-fringes. That comes from this complimentarity of 1-2 particle interference. What is that, and how does it make this extra pi phase shift happen?
 
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  • #3
This is where I found it, I think:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/13378833_Complementarity_of_one-particle_and_two-particle_interference
 

1. What is complementarity of one- and two-particle interference?

The complementarity of one- and two-particle interference is a fundamental principle in quantum mechanics that states that the behavior of particles can be described as either wave-like or particle-like, but not both at the same time. This means that the same experiment can yield different results depending on how it is observed or measured.

2. How does one-particle interference differ from two-particle interference?

One-particle interference refers to the behavior of a single particle, such as a photon or electron, as it passes through a double-slit experiment. The interference pattern observed is due to the wave-like nature of the particle. In contrast, two-particle interference involves the behavior of two particles that are entangled or correlated in some way. The interference pattern observed in this case is due to the interaction between the two particles.

3. What is an example of one-particle interference?

A classic example of one-particle interference is the double-slit experiment, where a single photon is sent through two slits and produces an interference pattern on a screen behind the slits. This demonstrates the wave-like behavior of the photon as it passes through the slits and interferes with itself.

4. How is complementarity of one- and two-particle interference related to the uncertainty principle?

The uncertainty principle, another fundamental principle in quantum mechanics, states that it is impossible to know both the position and momentum of a particle with absolute certainty. This is directly related to the complementarity of one- and two-particle interference because in order to observe the wave-like behavior of a particle, we must use a method that disturbs its position and therefore affects the measurement of its momentum.

5. What are the practical applications of understanding complementarity of one- and two-particle interference?

Understanding complementarity of one- and two-particle interference is crucial for many modern technologies, such as quantum computing and cryptography. It also helps us better understand the behavior of particles at the subatomic level and can lead to new discoveries in the field of quantum mechanics.

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