0910.2328 (Vladan Pankovic)

Quantum Magellan effect (without and with "degeneration")    [PDF]

Vladan Pankovic

In this work we consider an experiment of the quantum dynamical interaction between single photon and experimental arrangement that holds four mirrors (at the vortices of an square in the space) and single half-silvered mirror (placed in the middle between two mirrors). In situation when half-silvered mirror is fixed (so that it can not detect is photon passing or reflecting) we demonstrate the following. Metaphorically speaking, for equivalent reflection and transparency amplitude absolute value, here two intervals of the classical ("continental"), propagations of the photon are separated by an interval ("Magellan strait") of the quantum propagation (trajectories superposition) of the photon, and vice versa. In this sense discussed experiment can be metaphorically called quantum Magellan effect (without detection). In opposite situation half-silvered mirror is movable (so that it can detect is photon passing or reflecting) and reflection and transparency amplitude absolute values are different ("non-degeneration") so that by the first detection there are different probabilities for photon appearance on the different sides of the half-silvered mirror. Nevertheless, by increasing of the number of detections (tending toward infinity) probabilities for photon appearance on the different sides of the half-silvered mirror tend to be equivalent ("degeneration"). It can be metaphorically called quantum Magellan effect (with detection). (Namely, Feynman ingeniously observed: "There will be a degeneration of ideas, just like the degeneration that great explorers feel is occurring when tourists begin moving in on a territory.")

View original: http://arxiv.org/abs/0910.2328