Photon Bell Experiment, what happens in a single case?

In summary, in the case of 100 entangled photons with a polarization angle of 0 degrees (or 0 and 90) interacting with Alice at 22.5 degrees and Bob at 45 degrees in a Bell experiment, the singles count for both Alice and Bob will be 50. This is because the photons are in a mixture, not a superposition, and their polarization is random. Therefore, there is no experiment where a polarizer at 0 degrees for both Alice and Bob results in a 50% pass rate, as the entanglement is lost after the first polarizer.
  • #1
KeesDeVries
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TL;DR Summary
I am wondering what happens in the case of two engangled photons with a polarization angle of 0 degrees that interact with Alice at 22,5 degrees and Bob at 45 degrees.
I am wondering what happens in the case of 100 entangled photons with a polarization angle of 0 degrees (or 0 and 90) that interact with Alice at 22,5 degrees and Bob at 45 degrees in a Bell Experiment.

Do I get a count of 85 for Alice and 50 for Bob, which means a maximum coincidence count of 65 (50+15).
Or do I get a much higher coincidence count, which means that either Bob's 50 singles count or Alice's 85 singles count or both singles count must differ.

Can anybody point me to research about such an experiment?
 
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  • #2
KeesDeVries said:
Summary:: I am wondering what happens in the case of two engangled photons with a polarization angle of 0 degrees that interact with Alice at 22,5 degrees and Bob at 45 degrees.

I am wondering what happens in the case of 100 entangled photons with a polarization angle of 0 degrees (or 0 and 90) that interact with Alice at 22,5 degrees and Bob at 45 degrees in a Bell Experiment.

Do I get a count of 85 for Alice and 50 for Bob, which means a maximum coincidence count of 65 (50+15).
Or do I get a much higher coincidence count, which means that either Bob's 50 singles count or Alice's 85 singles count or both singles count must differ.

Can anybody point me to research about such an experiment?

:welcome:

Polarization entangled photons do not work that way.

First, they are not initially polarized at a specific angle. They are in what is called a "superposition".

Second, the Alice stream of 100 photons - by itself - will be a series of + and - (or 0/1) that is random. It will be about 50% + and 50% -. Same for Bob's stream, completely random. This assumes you measure each stream using a polarizing beam splitter (PBS).

Finally, when Alice and Bob match up their results, they will see a coincidence count that is dependent on the angle difference between Alice and Bob's settings. That angle is usually called "theta". The estimate for theta is usually the 1-cos^2(theta) for Type II PDC photons. For a difference of 22.5 degrees, you would see a match rate of 14.6%. For Type I PDC, it would be 85.4%.
 
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  • #3
Many thanks for your answer.

If I understand your answer correctly, after the beam splitter, the entangled photons are randomly polarized in a superposition of two ( perpendicular ) states? Or there is no polarization, only superposition with the same response to each angle, meaning 50%.

So there is no experiment where they, after the Beam splitter, put a polarizer at 0 degrees for both Bob And Alice, where 50% would pass and after that do the 22,5 and 45 degree test? Or is the entanglement lost after the first polarizer?
 
  • #4
If you have a polarization entangled photon pair (in a Bell state), the single photons are not in a superposition but in a mixture. That's what makes entanglement so interesting and very different from any classical correlation.
 
  • #5
Tnx, I think I get it know. For the case I describe Bob wil always get a singles count of 50*0,5 + 50*0,5 =50. Alice wil get 85*0,5 + 15*0,5 = also 50. Now it makes sense to me.
 

1. What is the Photon Bell Experiment?

The Photon Bell Experiment is a thought experiment that was proposed by physicist John Stewart Bell in 1964. It aims to test the validity of quantum mechanics by examining the phenomenon of quantum entanglement.

2. How does the Photon Bell Experiment work?

In the Photon Bell Experiment, two particles are created at the same time and place, and are then separated from each other. These particles are known as entangled particles, meaning their properties are linked and correlated even when they are physically apart.

3. What happens in a single case of the Photon Bell Experiment?

In a single case of the Photon Bell Experiment, one of the entangled particles is measured for a specific property, such as spin. This measurement will then determine the spin of the other particle, regardless of the distance between them. This phenomenon is known as quantum entanglement.

4. What are the implications of the Photon Bell Experiment?

The results of the Photon Bell Experiment have significant implications for our understanding of quantum mechanics. It suggests that there is a fundamental connection between all particles, and that the act of measurement can instantly affect the properties of entangled particles, regardless of distance.

5. What are the real-world applications of the Photon Bell Experiment?

The Photon Bell Experiment has potential applications in quantum cryptography and quantum computing. It also provides evidence for the existence of non-locality in quantum systems, which has implications for our understanding of the nature of reality.

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