Characterization of non-classical particle propagation using superpositions of position and momentum

• URL: http://arxiv.org/abs/2604.00417v1
• Date: Wed, 01 Apr 2026 03:01:00 GMT
• Title: Characterization of non-classical particle propagation using superpositions of position and momentum
• Abstract summary: We present a detailed study of photons prepared in a superposition of position and momentum generated in a Sagnac interferometer.<n>We show that the interference effect localizes the photons in narrow intervals of position and momentum, resulting in a quantitative violation of Newton's first law.
• Score: 0.0
• License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Abstract: The uncertainty principle suggests a quantitative trade-off between the control of position and the control of momentum in particle propagation. However, a superposition of two states with very different uncertainty trade-offs introduces an interference term that seems to combine precise statements about position and about momentum, allowing us to study how quantum mechanics describes the propagation of individual particles in free space. Here, we present a detailed experimental study of photons prepared in a superposition of position and momentum generated in a Sagnac interferometer. The transverse distribution of photons was obtained with three different measurement settings at the output port of the interferometer, corresponding to the initial position distribution, the initial momentum distribution, and an intermediate propagation time at which the contributions of initial position and momentum uncertainties are approximately equal to each other. We show that the interference effect localizes the photons in narrow intervals of position and momentum, resulting in a quantitative violation of Newton's first law as the interference pattern spreads out at the intermediate position. The data obtained can be used to demonstrate the negativity of the Wigner function in regions outside the position and momentum intervals in which the position and momentum contributions are confined.

Related papers

• Decoherence of spatial superpositions along stationary worldlines [0.0]
  We analyze the decoherence of a particle's spatial superposition moving along a stationary worldline through the Minkowski vacuum.<n>We derive a quantum Brownian motion master equation for the particle's center of mass.<n>We evaluate the decoherence rates for two specific cases of hyperbolic and uniform circular motion.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2026-05-13T15:35:20Z)
• Quantum optomechanics of lossy bodies: general approach and structured squeezed vacuum effects [51.56484100374058]
  We investigate the overall optomechanical force experienced by a macroscopic lossy object in free space under external quantum illumination.<n>By driving the scattering field with an anisotropic, multimode squeezed vacuum state, the spatial profile of the electromagnetic quantum fluctuations can be engineered to exhibit broken rotational symmetry.<n>We establish a general formalism for macroscopic quantum optomechanics that operates beyond the constraints of thermal equilibrium.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2026-04-07T13:25:43Z)
• A coherence interpretation of nonlocal realism in the delayed-choice quantum eraser [0.0]
  A coherence interpretation is conducted for the nonlocal realism of the space-like separated photons observed in Phys. Rev. Lett. 84, 1 (2000). A fixed sum-phase relation between entangled photons is a prerequisite, which cannot be explained by conventional particle nature-based quantum mechanics.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2023-02-27T02:13:00Z)
• Controlling and measuring a superposition of position and momentum [0.2578242050187029]
  We show that a lower bound on the probability of finding a particle after propagating for a given time is 5.9% below a classical bound. We prepared a superposition of position and momentum states by using slits, lenses and an interferometer, and observed a quantum interference between position and momentum.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2022-07-15T03:34:43Z)
• Interference dynamics of matter-waves of SU($N$) fermions [0.0]
  We analyze the two main physical observables related to the momenta of strongly correlated SU($N$) fermions in ring-shaped lattices pierced by an effective magnetic flux. We find that both homodyne and self-heterodyne interference display a specific dependence on the structure of the Fermi distribution and particles' correlations.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2022-06-06T18:00:01Z)
• Quantum asymmetry and noisy multi-mode interferometry [55.41644538483948]
  Quantum asymmetry is a physical resource which coincides with the amount of coherence between the eigenspaces of a generator. We show that the asymmetry may emphincrease as a result of a emphdecrease of coherence inside a degenerate subspace.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2021-07-23T07:30:57Z)
• Observation-dependent suppression and enhancement of two-photon coincidences by tailored losses [68.8204255655161]
  Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) effect can lead to a perfect suppression of two-particle coincidences between the output ports of a balanced beam splitter. In this work, we demonstrate experimentally that the two-particle coincidence statistics of two bosons can instead be seamlessly tuned to substantial enhancement. Our findings reveal a new approach to harnessing non-Hermitian settings for the manipulation of multi-particle quantum states.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2021-05-12T06:47:35Z)
• Irrealism from fringe visibility in matter-wave double-slit interference with initial contractive states [0.0]
  We employ a measure of physical irrealism and consider an initial contractive state in the double-slit setup with matter waves. We find that there is a time of propagation that minimizes the irrealism, and around this point the state at the detection screen is squeezed in position and momentum.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2020-04-28T18:45:40Z)
• Entanglement dynamics in dissipative photonic Mott insulators [62.997667081978825]
  In spite of particle losses the quantum entanglement propagation exhibits a ballistic character with propagation speeds related to the differerent quasiparticles that are involved in the dynamics. Our analysis reveals that photon dissipation has a strikingly asymmetric behavior in the two configurations with a much more dramatic role on the holon entanglement propagation than for the doublon case.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2020-04-27T15:48:24Z)
• Theory of waveguide-QED with moving emitters [68.8204255655161]
  We study a system composed by a waveguide and a moving quantum emitter in the single excitation subspace. We first characterize single-photon scattering off a single moving quantum emitter, showing both nonreciprocal transmission and recoil-induced reduction of the quantum emitter motional energy.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2020-03-20T12:14:10Z)
• Zitterbewegung and Klein-tunneling phenomena for transient quantum waves [77.34726150561087]
  We show that the Zitterbewegung effect manifests itself as a series of quantum beats of the particle density in the long-time limit. We also find a time-domain where the particle density of the point source is governed by the propagation of a main wavefront. The relative positions of these wavefronts are used to investigate the time-delay of quantum waves in the Klein-tunneling regime.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2020-03-09T21:27:02Z)

This list is automatically generated from the titles and abstracts of the papers in this site.

This site does not guarantee the quality of this site (including all information) and is not responsible for any consequences.