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Quantum mechanical which-way experiment with an internal degree of freedom

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arxiv 1311.0017 v1 pith:2GBKZQPT submitted 2013-10-31 quant-ph

Quantum mechanical which-way experiment with an internal degree of freedom

classification quant-ph
keywords internalwhich-waydegreefreedominformationdualityexperimentgeneral
verification ladder T0 review T1 audit T2 compute T3 formal T4 reserved
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For a particle travelling through an interferometer, the trade-off between the available which-way information and the interference visibility provides a lucid manifestation of the quantum mechanical wave-particle duality. Here we analyze this relation for a particle possessing an internal degree of freedom such as spin. We quantify the trade-off with a general inequality that paints an unexpectedly intricate picture of wave-particle duality when internal states are involved. Strikingly, in some instances which-way information becomes erased by introducing classical uncertainty in the internal degree of freedom. Furthermore, even imperfect interference visibility measured for a suitable set of spin preparations can be sufficient to infer absence of which-way information. General results are illustrated with a proof-of-principle single photon experiment.

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