Explain delayed choice quantum eraser without consciousness

[burke142]

I'm trying to understand the delayed choice quantum eraser experiment without consciousness.

As I understand it, photons will either interfere or not depending on whether or not "which-path" information is randomly hidden and rendered unkowable to the experimenter. That is, rather the by any particular detector interaction.

I have racked my brain for a physical explanation as to why obsfuscating the path info would collapse the wave function without relying on what is "knowable" to a conscious observer.

All my attempts invoke circular reasoning.

Any help?

 

[Nugatory]

As I understand it, photons will either interfere or not depending on whether or not "which-path" information is randomly hidden and rendered unkowable to the experimenter. That is, rather the by any particular detector interaction.

If you look at the detailed description of the experiment here you'll see that there is no conscious observer involved at all. There's just a chunk of electronic circuitry (the "coincidence counter") processing the signals on the wires connected to it. It runs just fine and does exactly the same thing whether anyone looks at it or not.

 

[bhobba]

Its been discussed many times on this forum eg:
https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/resolution-to-the-delayed-choice-quantum-eraser.320334/

As Dymystifyer said its best yo analyse it in some actual interpretational framework. For example here is Consistent Histories take:
http://quantum.phys.cmu.edu/CQT/chaps/cqt20.pdf

Rock bottom though is it simply demonstrates decoherence in reversible is simple cases:
https://www.physicsforums.com/threa...and-the-delayed-choice-quantum-eraser.623648/

Thanks
Bill