Sequential propagation of a single photon through five measurement contexts in a three-path interferometer

Abstract

Quantum contextuality describes scenarios in which it is impossible to explain the experimental evidence in terms of a measurement independent reality. Here, I introduce a three-path interferometer in which all five contexts needed for a demonstration of contextuality are realized in sequence. It is then possible to observe a paradoxical situation where the paths connecting input ports to their corresponding output ports appear to be blocked by destructive interference. It is shown that the conditional currents observed in weak measurements provide a consistent explanation of the paradox, indicating that weak values might help to bridge the gap between wavelike propagation effects and local particle detection.

12 pages, including 4 figures. Added references, especially with regards to generalized contextuality

References in corpus (9)

• A simple test for hidden variables in spin-1 system
• Anomalous Weak Values Are Proofs of Contextuality
• Weak Values are Interference Phenomena
• Quantifying quantum coherence via nonreal Kirkwood-Dirac quasiprobability
• Pre- and Post-selection paradoxes and contextuality in quantum mechanics
• Experimental observation of Hardy-like quantum contextuality
• Interference experiment, anomalous weak value and Leggett-Garg test of macrorealism
• How quantum paradoxes originate from the non-classical statistics of physical properties related to each other by half-periodic transformations
• Quantum interference effects determine contextual realities

Cited by in corpus (5)

• Counterfactuality, back-action, and information gain in multi-path interferometers
• Tracing quantum correlations back to collective interferences
• Statistical signatures of quantum contextuality
• Quantum coherence and negative quasi probabilities in a contextual three-path interferometer
• Experimental evidence for the physical delocalization of individual photons in an interferometer