Can a photon be separated from its wave?

TL;DR

This paper proposes an experiment to determine if a photon can be separated from its wave by using timing and interference, potentially showing the wave and particle aspects can be independently manipulated.

Contribution

It introduces a novel experimental setup combining heralded photons and interference to explore the wave-particle duality of photons.

Findings

Coincidence detection confirms maintained photon correlations.

Interference controls the photon path in the interferometer.

Potential demonstration of separating photon from its wave.

Abstract

An experiment is proposed in which the overall path taken by a photon is indicated by the timing of a twin herald photon, while a particular segment of that path is determined by interference. The experiment is to be carried out in two parts. In the first, coincident pairs of photons generated by type I spontaneous- parametric-down-conversion are diffracted by a large-width grating to increase the coherence length of their associated waves, and to produce two sources of coincident photons. Upon experimental confirmation that coincidences have been maintained, one of the sources is used to furnish timing heralds, and the other to send photons to an unequal path interferometer. A photon path through the interferometer via the short arm is indicated by count synchronization with the herald. The exit output port used and final detection location are determined by the phase in the long arm. If output port usage can thus be controlled by the phase in the photon free arm, the path of the photon as particle will have been controlled by interference with an accompanying photon-empty wave.