Undergrad Wave-particle duality revisited: Neither wave nor particle

Click For Summary
The study by Jan Sperling et al. demonstrates that neither wave nor particle models adequately explain the behavior of quantum light in interferometric experiments. By using squeezed light, the researchers established correlation-based criteria that reveal the incompatibility of both interpretations. Their findings suggest that quantum electrodynamics (QED) is the only framework that accurately describes the observed phenomena, challenging the traditional wave-particle duality concept. The paper emphasizes that both wave and particle interpretations fail in specific quantum-optical setups, reinforcing the notion that classical models are insufficient for understanding nonclassical light. This research provides experimentally verifiable criteria for assessing the nature of quantum light, marking a significant advancement in quantum optics.
A. Neumaier
Science Advisor
Insights Author
Messages
8,710
Reaction score
4,801
TL;DR
A recent paper
From the abstract:
we derive correlation-based criteria that have to be satisfied when either particles or waves are fed into our interferometer. Using squeezed light, it is then confirmed that measured correlations are incompatible with either picture. Thus, within one single experiment, it is proven that neither a wave nor a particle model explains the observed phenomena.
 
  • Like
Likes julcab12, Mentz114, DarMM and 6 others
Physics news on Phys.org
The upshot seems to be: There's neither waves nor particles and no wave-particle duality but only QED describing all findings in quantum optics. That's no surpise today though it seems to be a nice review paper, but what's new?
 
vanhees71 said:
but what's new?
What's new is that they give experimentally verifiable criteria for waveness and particleness, and test a situation where both fail.
we have shown in theory and experiment that, already for relatively simple instances of quantum-optical setups, a particle and wave interpretation of quantum light simultaneously fails to explain the measured data.
 
  • Like
Likes vanhees71
vanhees71 said:
The upshot seems to be: There's neither waves nor particles and no wave-particle duality but only QED describing all findings in quantum optics.
Not of all QED but a strong case on the nonclassical part(Full QED)--(photon) counting statistics, fundamental/quantum limited noise, Reduced quantum uncertainty or experiments specifically looking at the physics of nonclassical light. Although the semiclassical version works very well--classic EM field in such major field in physics, which is an extremely powerful, yet classical device, that allows you to do all sorts of quantum experiments.
 
  • Like
Likes vanhees71
Time reversal invariant Hamiltonians must satisfy ##[H,\Theta]=0## where ##\Theta## is time reversal operator. However, in some texts (for example see Many-body Quantum Theory in Condensed Matter Physics an introduction, HENRIK BRUUS and KARSTEN FLENSBERG, Corrected version: 14 January 2016, section 7.1.4) the time reversal invariant condition is introduced as ##H=H^*##. How these two conditions are identical?

Similar threads

  • · Replies 36 ·
2
Replies
36
Views
8K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 41 ·
2
Replies
41
Views
5K
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
2K
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
3K
  • · Replies 19 ·
Replies
19
Views
2K
  • · Replies 32 ·
2
Replies
32
Views
5K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
3K
  • · Replies 28 ·
Replies
28
Views
4K
  • · Replies 26 ·
Replies
26
Views
8K