English

Path Predictability and Quantum Coherence in Multi-Slit Interference

Quantum Physics 2019-07-16 v3

Abstract

In an asymmetric multislit interference experiment, a quanton is more likely to pass through certain slits than some others. In such a situation one may be able to predict which slit a quanton is more likely to go through, even without using any path-detecting device. This allows one to talk of path predictability. It has been shown earlier that for a two-slit interference, the predictability and fringe visibility are constrained by the inequality P2+V21P^2+V^2\le 1. Generalizing this relation to the case of more than two slits is still an unsolved problem. A new definition for predictability for multi-slit interference is introduced. It is shown that this predictability and quantum coherence follow a duality relation P2+C21P^2+C^2\le 1, which saturates for all pure states. For the case of two slits, this relation reduces to the previously known one.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1805.05380,
  title  = {Path Predictability and Quantum Coherence in Multi-Slit Interference},
  author = {Prabuddha Roy and Tabish Qureshi},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1805.05380},
  year   = {2019}
}

Comments

Expanded, published version