Distinguishability, contrast and complementarity in multimode two-particle interferences

DOI10.1088/0305-4470/37/45/018zbMATH Open1059.81512arXivquant-ph/0411001OpenAlexW2013452365WikidataQ61154541 ScholiaQ61154541MaRDI QIDQ4652973

Pedro Sancho

Publication date: 28 February 2005

Published in: Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and General (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: Multimode two-particle systems show interference effects in one-particle detections when both particles have common modes. We explore the possibility of extending the usual concepts of distinguishability and visibility to these types of systems. Distinguishability will refer now to the balance between common and different modes of a two-particle system, instead of the standard definition concerning available alternatives for a one-particle system. On the other hand, the usual concept of visibility is not suitable for our problem and must be replaced with that of contrast, measuring the ratio of detection probabilities with and without interference effects. Finally, we show that for the type of states considered in the paper there is a complementarity relation between distinguishability and contrast for two-bosons systems. In contrast, there is no two-fermion counterpart.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0411001

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

General and philosophical questions in quantum theory (81P05) Quantum measurement theory, state operations, state preparations (81P15)