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The GRA Beam-Splitter Experiment and Wave-Particle Duality of Light

P. N. Kaloyerou

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Abstract

Grangier, Roger and Aspect (GRA) performed a beam-splitter experiment to demonstrate particle behaviour of light and a Mach-Zehnder interferometer experiment to demonstrate wave behaviour of light. The distinguishing feature of these experiments is the use of a gating system to produce near ideal single photon states. With the demonstration of both wave and particle behaviour (in the two mutually exclusive experiments) they claim to have demonstrated the dual wave-particle behaviour of light, and hence, to have confirmed Bohr's Principle of complementarity. The demonstration of the wave behaviour of light is not in dispute. But, we want to demonstrate, contrary to the claims of GRA, that their beam-splitter experiment does not conclusively confirm the particle behaviour of light, and hence does not confirm particle-wave duality, nor, more generally, is complementarity confirmed. Our demonstration consists of providing a detailed model based on the Causal Interpretation of Quantum Fields (CIEM), which does not involve the particle concept, of GRA's which-path experiment. We will also give a brief outline of a CIEM model for the second, interference GRA experiment.

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What this paper is about

Grangier, Roger and Aspect (GRA) performed a beam-splitter experiment to demonstrate particle behaviour of light and a Mach-Zehnder interferometer experiment to demonstrate wave behaviour of light. The distinguishing feature of these experiments is the use of a gating system to produce near ideal single photon states. With the demonstration of both wave and particle behaviour (in the two mutually exclusive experiments) they claim to have demonstrated the dual wave-particle behaviour of light, and hence, to have confirmed Bohr's Principle of complementarity. The demonstration of the wave behaviour of light is not in dispute. But, we want to demonstrate, contrary to the claims of GRA, that their beam-splitter experiment does not conclusively confirm the particle behaviour of light, and hence does not confirm particle-wave duality, nor, more generally, is complementarity confirmed. Our demonstration consists of providing a detailed model based on the Causal Interpretation of Quantum Fields (CIEM), which does not involve the particle concept, of GRA's which-path experiment. We will also give a brief outline of a CIEM model for the second, interference GRA experiment.

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Available abstract

Grangier, Roger and Aspect (GRA) performed a beam-splitter experiment to demonstrate particle behaviour of light and a Mach-Zehnder interferometer experiment to demonstrate wave behaviour of light. The distinguishing feature of these experiments is the use of a gating system to produce near ideal single photon states. With the demonstration of both wave and particle behaviour (in the two mutually exclusive experiments) they claim to have demonstrated the dual wave-particle behaviour of light, and hence, to have confirmed Bohr's Principle of complementarity. The demonstration of the wave behaviour of light is not in dispute. But, we want to demonstrate, contrary to the claims of GRA, that their beam-splitter experiment does not conclusively confirm the particle behaviour of light, and hence does not confirm particle-wave duality, nor, more generally, is complementarity confirmed. Our demonstration consists of providing a detailed model based on the Causal Interpretation of Quantum Fields (CIEM), which does not involve the particle concept, of GRA's which-path experiment. We will also give a brief outline of a CIEM model for the second, interference GRA experiment.

Key concepts: Wave–particle duality, Beam splitter, Bohr model, Physics, Duality (order theory), Optics, Complementarity (molecular biology), Quantum mechanics

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