English

Delayed-choice test of complementarity with single photons

Quantum Physics 2009-11-13 v1

Abstract

We report an experimental test of complementarity using clock-triggered single-photon pulses emitted by an individual N-V color center in a diamond nanocrystal. The single photons are sent into a Mach-Zehnder interferometer with an output beamsplitter of adjustable reflection coefficient R. In addition, the choice of introducing or removing this beamsplitter is random and relativistically space-like separated from the entering of the photon inside the interferometer, as required for the Wheeler's delayed-choice regime. Each set value of R allows us to observe interference with visibility V and to obtain incomplete which-path information characterized by the distinguishability D. The measured values of V and D are found to obey the complementarity relation V^2 + D^2 =< 1.

Cite

@article{arxiv.0801.0979,
  title  = {Delayed-choice test of complementarity with single photons},
  author = {Vincent Jacques and E. Wu and Frédéric Grosshans and François Treussart and Philippe Grangier and Alain Aspect and Jean-François Roch},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0801.0979},
  year   = {2009}
}
R2 v1 2026-06-21T10:00:12.285Z