Dual to the anomalous weak value effect of photon-polarisation separation

Abstract

The quantum Cheshire cat (QCC) thought experiment proposes that a quantum object's property (\textit{e.g} polarisation, spin, etc.) can be separated from its physical body or \textit{disembodied}. This conclusion arose from an argument that interprets a zero weak value (WV) of polarisation as no polarisation. We show that this argument is incomplete in the sense that a zero WV reading could equally be interpreted as linear polarisation. Nevertheless, through a generalisation of the QCC, we complete their argument by excluding the possibility of linear polarisation as a consistent interpretation. We go further, and introduce the dual of the generalised QCC. The dual QCC exhibits an intriguing effect, where a horizontally-polarised interferometer with just one arm, can give rise to interference which is vertically-polarised. The interference appears to arise as the result of the phase difference between the physical arm and a \textit{phantom} arm. This peculiar effect arises from the interplay between the pre-selected and post-selected states, which characterises WVs. The QCC has not yet been unambiguously experimentally demonstrated. The QCC dual offers an alternative pathway to experimental realisation.

9 pages, 4 figures

References in corpus (17)

• Ultrasensitive Beam Deflection Measurement via Interferometric Weak Value Amplification
• Experimental joint weak measurement on a photon pair as a probe of Hardy's Paradox
• Optimizing the Signal to Noise Ratio of a Beam Deflection Measurement with Interferometric Weak Values
• Mapping the optimal route between two quantum states
• Precision frequency measurements with interferometric weak values
• Observation of a quantum Cheshire Cat in a matter wave interferometer experiment
• A double-slit `which-way' experiment on the complementarity--uncertainty debate
• Measuring ultrasmall time delays of light by joint weak measurements
• Observing interferences between past and future quantum states in resonance fluorescence
• Observation of the Imbert-Fedorov effect via weak value amplification
• Picoradian deflection measurement with an interferometric quasi-autocollimator using weak value amplification
• Geometric phase in weak measurements
• Weak values and quantum properties
• Observation of the quantum paradox of separation of a single photon from one of its properties
• The meaning of "anomalous weak values" in quantum and classical theories
• The Quantum Cheshire Cat effect: Theoretical basis and observational implications
• What do quantum "weak" measurements actually measure?

Cited by in corpus (1)

• Observing the "quantum Cheshire cat" effect with noninvasive weak measurement