Duality violation from a grating

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that diffraction from a Ronchi grating can theoretically and experimentally violate quantum duality, showing probability non-conservation in certain diffraction orders, which challenges standard quantum assumptions.

Contribution

It provides a theoretical prediction and experimental evidence of duality violation and probability non-conservation in diffraction from a Ronchi grating.

Findings

Experimental confirmation of duality violation at 633 nm

Observation of probability non-conservation in diffraction orders

Theoretical prediction matches experimental results

Abstract

Diffraction orders in the continuous wave regime generated by a Ronchi transmission grating in a standard threshold configuration are shown theoretically to violate quantum duality for a locally real representation. The phenomenon superficially resembles Rayleigh anomalies but is notably distinguished from those anomalies by a prediction of probability non-conservation. This prediction is experimentally tested with a 633 nm laser beam at normal incidence on gratings giving that threshold condition for the \pm 3rd order pair. Transient intersection of the Oth order with an independent 633 nm laser beam demonstrates a duality-violating probability non-conservation in good agreement with the theoretical prediction.