22,126 research outputs found
Proposal for an interference experiment to test the applicability of quantum theory to event-based processes
We analyze a single-particle Mach-Zehnder interferometer experiment in which
the path length of one arm may change (randomly or systematically) according to
the value of an external two-valued variable , for each passage of a
particle through the interferometer. Quantum theory predicts an interference
pattern that is independent of the sequence of the values of . On the other
hand, corpuscular models that reproduce the results of quantum optics
experiments carried out up to this date show a reduced visibility and a shift
of the interference pattern depending on the details of the sequence of the
values of . The proposed experiment will show that: (1) it can be described
by quantum theory, and thus not by the current corpuscular models, or (2) it
cannot be described by quantum theory but can be described by the corpuscular
models or variations thereof, or (3) it can neither be described by quantum
theory nor by corpuscular models. Therefore, the proposed experiment can be
used to determine to what extent quantum theory provides a description of
observed events beyond the usual statistical level.Comment: Accepted for publication in J. Phys. Soc. Jp
- …