Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/2289/5284
Title: Ruling out Multi-order interference in quantum mechanics
Authors: Sinha, Urbasi
Couteau, Christophe
Jennewein, Thomas
Laflamme, Raymond
Weihs, Gregor
Issue Date: Jul-2010
Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science
Citation: Science
Abstract: Quantum mechanics and gravitation are two pillars of modern physics. Despite their success in describing the physical world around us, they seem to be incompatible theories. There are suggestions that one of these theories must be generalized to achieve unification. For example, Born’s rule—one of the axioms of quantum mechanics—could be violated. Born’s rule predicts that quantum interference, as shown by a double-slit diffraction experiment, occurs from pairs of paths. A generalized version of quantum mechanics might allow multipath (i.e., higher-order) interference, thus leading to a deviation from the theory. We performed a three-slit experiment with photons and bounded the magnitude of three-path interference to less than 10−2 of the expected two-path interference, thus ruling out third- and higher-order interference and providing a bound on the accuracy of Born’s rule. Our experiment is consistent with the postulate both in semiclassical and quantum regimes.
Description: Restricted Access.
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/2289/5284
ISSN: 0036-8075
1095-9203(Online)
Alternative Location: http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1190545
http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2010Sci...329..418S
Copyright: 2010 American Association for the Advancement of Science
Appears in Collections:Research Papers (LAMP)

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