Experimental realization of Wheeler’s delayed-choice experiment with dual selections

IF 6.4 1区物理与天体物理 Q1 PHYSICS, MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Science China Physics, Mechanics & Astronomy Pub Date : 2025-03-10 DOI:10.1007/s11433-024-2587-y

Xiaowan Yang, Xinglei Yu, Liangsheng Li, Xinzhi Zhao, Tianle Zheng, Chengjie Zhang, Chuan-Feng Li, Guang-Can Guo

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Wheeler’s delayed-choice experiment demonstrates wave-particle duality of particles using different experimental configurations of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. In a quantum version of this experiment, the wave-particle behaviour of photons can be observed by controlling presence or absence of the second beam splitter. Here, we implement a delayed-choice experiment with dual selections based on entangled photons, experimentally controlling both of two beam splitters in the Mach-Zehnder interferometer, where the presence and absence of the second beam splitter are simultaneously controlled through path encoding. Our experiment reveals the wave-particle behavior of single photons under different configurations of two beam splitters. We further discuss the scenario when two beam splitters are in a quantum superposition of being present and absent, photons will be in a wave-particle quantum superposition state.

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来源期刊

Science China Physics, Mechanics & Astronomy PHYSICS, MULTIDISCIPLINARY-

CiteScore

10.30

自引率

6.20%

发文量

4047

审稿时长

3 months

期刊介绍： Science China Physics, Mechanics & Astronomy, an academic journal cosponsored by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and published by Science China Press, is committed to publishing high-quality, original results in both basic and applied research. Science China Physics, Mechanics & Astronomy, is published in both print and electronic forms. It is indexed by Science Citation Index. Categories of articles: Reviews summarize representative results and achievements in a particular topic or an area, comment on the current state of research, and advise on the research directions. The author’s own opinion and related discussion is requested. Research papers report on important original results in all areas of physics, mechanics and astronomy. Brief reports present short reports in a timely manner of the latest important results.