Demonstration of quantum delayed-choice experiment on a quantum computer

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the wave-particle duality and quantum delayed-choice experiment on a five-qubit quantum computer, showing the emergence of wave-particle coexistence and refuting local hidden variable theories.

Contribution

First experimental realization of quantum delayed-choice experiment on a cloud-based quantum processor showing wave-particle duality.

Findings

Wave-particle duality observed on quantum computer

Entanglement-assisted scheme reproduces quantum mechanics predictions

Local hidden variable theories are incompatible with experimental results

Abstract

Wave-particle duality of quantum objects is one of the most striking features of quantum physics and has been widely studied in past decades. Developments of quantum technologies enable us to experimentally realize several quantum phenomena. Observation of wave-particle morphing behavior in the context of the quantum delayed-choice experiment (QDCE) is one of them. Adopting the scheme of QDCE, we demonstrate how the coexistence of wave and particle nature emerges as a consequence of the uncertainty in the quantum controlled experimental setup, using a five-qubit cloud-based quantum processor. We also show that an entanglement-assisted scheme of the same reproduces the predictions of quantum mechanics. We put evidence that a local hidden variable theory is incompatible with quantum mechanical predictions by comparing the variation of intensities obtained from our experiment with hidden variable predictions.