What does a quantum eraser really erase
Interference may occur whenever there are two or more paths or processes leading to the same final outcome, and these are in principle indistinguishable. If one of these paths becomes labeled, yielding [open quotes]which-path[close quotes] information, interference will vanish. However, an appropriate measurement that [open quotes]erases[close quotes] the distinguishability may recover interference. Remarkably, it can be recovered even in situations where there was no which-path information to erase Using single photons in a modified Mach-Zehnder interferometer, we have investigated the various conditions that allow, prevent, and recover interference, for a variety of pure, mixed, and partially-mixed input states. [copyright] [ital 1999 American Institute of Physics.]
- OSTI ID:
- 6034593
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-980868--
- Journal Information:
- AIP Conference Proceedings, Journal Name: AIP Conference Proceedings Vol. 461:1; ISSN 0094-243X; ISSN APCPCS
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BOSONS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FUNCTIONS
INTERFEROMETERS
LASER RADIATION
MACH-ZEHNDER INTERFEROMETER
MASSLESS PARTICLES
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MECHANICS
PHOTODETECTORS
PHOTONS
QUANTUM MECHANICS
RADIATIONS
UNCERTAINTY PRINCIPLE
WAVE FUNCTIONS