Computer simulation of Wheeler's delayed-choice experiment with photons

Event-by-event simulation of Wheeler’s delayed-choice experiment

We present a computer simulation model of Wheeler’s delayed choice experiment. The model is solely based on experimental facts and does not rely on concepts of quantum theory or probability theory. We demonstrate that it is possible to give a particle-only description of Wheeler’s delayed choice experiment which reproduces the averages calculated from quantum theory and which does not defy comm...

Entanglement-enabled delayed-choice experiment.

Wave-particle complementarity is one of the most intriguing features of quantum physics. To emphasize this measurement apparatus-dependent nature, experiments have been performed in which the output beam splitter of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer is inserted or removed after a photon has already entered the device. A recent extension suggested using a quantum beam splitter at the interferometer'...

A quantum delayed-choice experiment.

Quantum systems exhibit particle- or wavelike behavior depending on the experimental apparatus they are confronted by. This wave-particle duality is at the heart of quantum mechanics. Its paradoxical nature is best captured in the delayed-choice thought experiment, in which a photon is forced to choose a behavior before the observer decides what to measure. Here, we report on a quantum delayed-...

An entanglement-enabled delayed-choice experiment

Extending Wheeler’s delayed-choice experiment to space

Gedankenexperiments have consistently played a major role in the development of quantum theory. A paradigmatic example is Wheeler's delayed-choice experiment, a wave-particle duality test that cannot be fully understood using only classical concepts. We implement Wheeler's idea along a satellite-ground interferometer that extends for thousands of kilometers in space. We exploit temporal and pol...