Observation of single-photon azimuthal backflow with weak measurement

Quantum backflow (QB), a counterintuitive interference phenomenon where particles with positive momentum can propagate backward, is important in applications involving light-matter interactions. To date, experimental demonstrations of backflow have been restricted to classical optical systems using techniques such as slit scanning or Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensing, which suffer from low spatial resolution due to the inherent limitations in slit width and lenslet array density. Here, we report an observation of azimuthal backflow (AB) both theoretically and experimentally by employing the weak measurement technique, which enables the precise extraction of photon momentum at each pixel. Our results show that a heralded single photon, prepared in specific superposition states with solely negative orbital angular momentum (OAM), can exhibit positive OAM. The effects of mode ratio, propagation distance, and OAM index on the azimuthal backflow are systematically investigated. This work provides new techniques for observing and manipulating backflow in quantum systems.