Observation of a classical cheshire cat in an optical interferometer

Abstract

A recent neutron interferometry experiment claims to demonstrate a paradoxical phenomena dubbed the "quantum Cheshire Cat" \cite{Denkmayr2014}. We have reproduced and extended these results with an equivalent optical interferometer. The results suggest that the photon travels through one arm of the interferometer, while its polarization travels through the other. However, we show that these experimental results belong to the domain where quantum and classical wave theories coincide; there is nothing uniquely quantum about the illusion of this cheshire cat.

arXiv comment4 pages, 4 figures

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• Quantum Cheshire Cats
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• Can Two Quantum Cheshire Cats Exchange Grins?
• Contextuality, Coherences, and Quantum Cheshire Cats
• Do weak values capture the complete truth about the past of a quantum particle?
• Weak Measurement and Two-State-Vector Formalism: Deficit of Momentum Transfer in Scattering Processes
• Delayed choice of paths selected by grin and snarl of quantum Cheshire Cat
• Isolating noise and amplifying signal with quantum Cheshire cat
• Disembodiment of arbitrary number of properties in quantum Cheshire cat experiment
• Apparent quantum paradoxes as simple interference: Quantum violation of the pigeonhole principle and exchange of properties between quantum particles
• Association between quantum paradoxes based on weak values and a realistic interpretation of quantum measurements
• Wave and particle properties can be spatially separated in a quantum entity
• State transfer with separable optical beams and variational quantum algorithms with classical light
• Post-selection induced deterministic and probabilistic entanglement with strong and weak interactions