Has this photon experiment ever been done?

In summary: The two experiments are quite similar, the only difference is that one has a path blocked.In summary, the proposed experiment would prove that there is really nothing going on in the path that you block, in that case you would only get vertical and horizontal photons.
  • #1
iamcj
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In the original experiment a photon 45 degrees polarized goes through two beamsplitters and comes out 45 degrees polarized and if you measure the individual path, you measure vertical or horizontal.

OriginalExperiment.jpg


I was just wondering, has the experiment below (or something simular) ever been done? Do we just get vertical or horizontal photons or maybe 45 degree polarized, or something else?
Experiment.jpg
 
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  • #2
What question do you expect this experiment to answer? That is, what are you trying to learn from it?

I’m asking because on the one hand it is quite unlikely that anyone has set up this exact configuration, but on the other hand it is quite likely that other experiments that answer the same question have been done. You may get more helpful answers if you focus on the motivation for the experiment instead of an unmotivated configuration of lab equipment.
 
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  • #3
Nugatory said:
What question do you expect this experiment to answer? That is, what are you trying to learn from it?

I’m asking because on the one hand it is quite unlikely that anyone has set up this exact configuration, but on the other hand it is quite likely that other experiments that answer the same question have been done. You may get more helpful answers if you focus on the motivation for the experiment instead of an unmotivated configuration of lab equipment.

I am sorry. In the original experiment, if you block one path, this influences the behaviour of the other path. The proposed experiment would prove that there is really nothing going on in the path that you block, in that case you would only get vertical and horizontal photons. If you get 45 degree photons at the end of the proposed experiment, I think it would prove that the photon is split in a vertical and horizontal wave component and that the particle only takes one wave component (one path). The vertical (from the left photon) and horizontal wave component (from right photon) meet at the PBS and they are merged to become 45 again, just as in the original experiment.
 
  • #4
iamcj said:
The proposed experiment would prove that there is really nothing going on in the path that you block
But in your setup (second picture), no path is blocked.
 
  • #5
Demystifier said:
But in your setup (second picture), no path is blocked.

The horizontal path of the left photon is measured/blocked and replaced with the horizontal path of the right photon.

If the right photon and the left photon both become vertically polarized after the the first BPS. The left photon will continu to the second PBS as a vertically polarized photon because the horizontal path is measured/blocked. The right photon will be measured/blocked in the vertical path, so the horizontal path should be empty. But if the left photon becomes 45 degrees polarized after the seconde PBS, it means there was a horizontal wave component in the horizontal path of the right photon that influences the left photon and this then also happens in the original experiment. If nothing happens, the existence of this horizontal wave component is ruled out.

I would like to know if there is an experiment that has proven one or the other.
 

1. What is a photon experiment?

A photon experiment is a scientific experiment that involves studying the behavior and properties of photons, which are particles of light. This can include experiments related to the wave-particle duality of light, photon entanglement, and the interaction of photons with matter.

2. Why would someone want to conduct a photon experiment?

Photon experiments are important for furthering our understanding of the fundamental nature of light and its role in the universe. They also have practical applications in fields such as telecommunications, energy, and quantum computing.

3. Has this experiment ever been done before?

It is difficult to definitively say whether a specific photon experiment has been done before, as there are countless experiments being conducted by scientists all over the world. However, many experiments have been done that have studied similar aspects of photon behavior and properties.

4. What are some examples of famous photon experiments?

One famous example of a photon experiment is the double-slit experiment, which demonstrated the wave-particle duality of light and helped to establish the field of quantum mechanics. Another well-known experiment is the delayed-choice quantum eraser, which showed that the behavior of a photon can be influenced by events that occur after the photon has already been emitted.

5. How are photon experiments conducted?

Photon experiments can be conducted in a variety of ways, depending on the specific research question being addressed. They typically involve the use of specialized equipment such as lasers, mirrors, and detectors to manipulate and measure the behavior of photons. The results are then analyzed and interpreted by scientists to gain insight into the properties and behavior of light.

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