Significant nonclassical paths with atoms and cavities in the double-slit experiment

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a novel experimental setup with atom cavities that can detect nonclassical paths in the double-slit experiment, erase and restore their coherence, and measure potential violations of the Born rule.

Contribution

It introduces a new method to observe nonclassical paths and test fundamental quantum principles using atom cavities, surpassing previous experimental limitations.

Findings

Detection of nonclassical paths with 1% probability

Ability to erase and restore coherence of nonclassical paths

Implementation of a measure for Born-rule violation

Abstract

In the the double-slit experiment, nonclassical paths are Feynman paths that go through both slits. Prior work with atom cavities as which-way detectors in the double-slit experiment has shown these paths to be experimentally inaccessible. In this paper, we show how such a setup can indeed detect nonclassical paths with 1% probability if one considers a different type of nonclassical path than previously investigated. We also show how this setup can be used to erase and restore the coherence of the nonclassical paths. Finally, we also show how atom cavities may be used to implement a exact measure of Born-rule violation [Quach, Which-way double-slit experiments and Born-rule violation, Phys. Rev. A 95, 042129 (2017)], which up until now has only been a formal construct.