Titel
Obtaining tight bounds on higher-order interferences with a 5-path interferometer
Autor*in
Thomas Kauten
Institut für Experimentalphysik, Universität Innsbruck
Robert Keil
Institut für Experimentalphysik, Universität Innsbruck
Thomas Kaufmann
Institut für Experimentalphysik, Universität Innsbruck
... show all
Abstract
Within the established theoretical framework of quantum mechanics, interference always occurs between pairs of paths through an interferometer. Higher order interferences with multiple constituents are excluded by Born's rule and can only exist in generalized probabilistic theories. Thus, high-precision experiments searching for such higher order interferences are a powerful method to distinguish between quantum mechanics and more general theories. Here, we perform such a test in an optical multi-path interferometer, which avoids crucial systematic errors, has access to the entire phase space and is more stable than previous experiments. Our results are in accordance with quantum mechanics and rule out the existence of higher order interference terms in optical interferometry to an extent that is more than four orders of magnitude smaller than the expected pairwise interference, refining previous bounds by two orders of magnitude.
Stichwort
quantum opticsinterferometryinterferenceoptical tests of quantum theoryfoundations of quantum mechanics
Objekt-Typ
Sprache
Englisch [eng]
Persistent identifier
Erschienen in
Titel
New Journal of Physics
Band
19
Ausgabe
3
Seitenanfang
033017
Publication
IOP Publishing
Erscheinungsdatum
2017
Zugänglichkeit
Rechte
Rechteangabe
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