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arXiv · 2112.05512

Bright and Dark States of Light: The quantum Origin of Classical Interference

Celso J. Villas-Boas·Carlos E. Máximo·Paulo J. Paulino·Romain P. Bachelard·Gerhard Rempe
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Abstract

Classical theory asserts that several electromagnetic waves cannot interact with matter if they interfere destructively to zero, whereas quantum mechanics predicts a nontrivial light-matter dynamics even when the average electric field vanishes. Here we show that in quantum optics classical interference emerges from collective bright and dark states of light, \textit{i.e.}, entangled superpositions of multi-mode photon-number states. This makes it possible to explain wave interference using the particle description of light and the superposition principle for linear systems.

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Celso J. Villas-Boas, Carlos E. Máximo, Paulo J. Paulino, Romain P. Bachelard, Gerhard Rempe. 2021-12-10. Bright and Dark States of Light: The quantum Origin of Classical Interference. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.134.133603

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