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arXiv · 2610.01832

Experimental realization of Wheeler's delayed-choice experiment with dual selections

Xiaowan Yang·Xinglei Yu·Liangsheng Li·Xinzhi Zhao·Tianle Zheng·Chengjie Zhang·Chuan-Feng Li·Guang-Can Guo
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Abstract

Wheeler's delayed-choice experiment demonstrates wave-particle duality of particles using different experimental configurations of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. In a quantum version of this experiment, the wave-particle behavior of photons can be observed by controlling presence or absence of the second beam splitter. Here, we implement a delayed-choice experiment with dual selections based on entangled photons, experimentally controlling both of two beam splitters in the Mach-Zehnder interferometer, where the presence and absence of the second beam splitter are simultaneously controlled through path encoding. Our experiment reveals the wave-particle behavior of single photons under different configurations of two beam splitters. We further discuss the scenario when two beam splitters are in a quantum superposition of being present and absent, photons will be in a wave-particle quantum superposition state.

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Xiaowan Yang, Xinglei Yu, Liangsheng Li, Xinzhi Zhao, Tianle Zheng, Chengjie Zhang, Chuan-Feng Li, Guang-Can Guo. 2026-10-01. Experimental realization of Wheeler's delayed-choice experiment with dual selections. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11433-024-2587-y

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