Fringe Visibility and Which-Way Information: An Inequality

Berthold-Georg Englert
Phys. Rev. Lett. 77, 2154 – Published 9 September 1996
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Abstract

An inequality is derived according to which the fringe visibility in a two-way interferometer sets an absolute upper bound on the amount of which-way information that is potentially stored in a which-way detector. In some sense, this inequality can be regarded as quantifying the notion of wave-particle duality. The derivation of the inequality does not make use of Heisenberg's uncertainty relation in any form.

  • Received 21 May 1996

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.77.2154

©1996 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Berthold-Georg Englert

  • Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik, Hans-Kopfermann-Strasse 1, D-85748 Garching, Germany

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Issue

Vol. 77, Iss. 11 — 9 September 1996

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