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Updated: Nov 4, 2025
07:56
A Photonic System for Generating Unconditional Polarization-Entangled Photons Based on Multiple Quantum Interference
Published on: September 5, 2019
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Testing Higher-Order Quantum Interference with Many-Particle States
Marc-Oliver Pleinert1,2, Alfredo Rueda1, Eric Lutz3
1Institut für Optik, Information und Photonik, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91058 Erlangen, Germany.
Physical Review Letters
|May 28, 2021
Summary
Researchers explored higher-order quantum interference beyond single particles. Using a two-photon setup, they observed two-particle interference up to fourth order, setting new bounds for quantum mechanics.
Area of Science:
- Quantum Physics
- Quantum Optics
- Many-Body Quantum Systems
Background:
- Quantum mechanics allows interference between indistinguishable paths, but typically limits it to second order for single particles.
- Previous experimental searches for higher-order interference focused on single-particle interference schemes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To experimentally investigate many-particle higher-order interference.
- To explore interference phenomena beyond the limitations of single-particle interference.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a novel two-photon-five-slit experimental setup.
- Analyzed interference patterns in both intensity-correlation and photon-correlation regimes.
Main Results:
- Observed non-zero two-particle interference extending to the fourth order.
- Demonstrated that fifth-order interference is suppressed, with bounds of 10⁻³ in intensity correlations and 10⁻² in photon correlations.
Conclusions:
- Many-particle systems allow for higher-order interference than previously demonstrated with single-particle systems.
- The study provides new experimental bounds on higher-order quantum interference, advancing our understanding of quantum correlations.
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