Quantum twisted double-slits experiments:confirming wavefunctions'physical reality

作     者：Zhi-Yuan Zhou Zhi-Han Zhu Shi-Long Liu Yin-Hai Li Shuai Shi Dong-Sheng Ding Li-Xiang Chen Wei Gao Guang-Can Guo Bao-Sen Shi 

作者机构：Wang Da-Heng Collaborative Innovation Center for Science of Quantum Manipulation&ControlHeilongjiang Province&Harbin University of Science and TechnologyHarbin 150080China CAS Key Laboratory of Quantum InformationUniversity of Science and Technology of ChinaHefei 230026China Department of PhysicsHarbin University of Science and TechnologyHarbin 150080China Department of Physics and Collaborative Innovation Center for Optoelectronic Semiconductors and Efficient DevicesXiamen UniversityXiamen 361005China 

出 版 物：《Science Bulletin》 (科学通报（英文版）)

年 卷 期：2017年第62卷第17期

页      面：1185-1192页

核心收录：

学科分类：07[理学] 070201[理学-理论物理] 0702[理学-物理学] 

基　　金：supported by the National Natural Science Funds for Distinguished Young Scholars of China(61525504) the National Natural Science Foundation of China(11574065,11604322,61275115,61378003,61435011 and 61605194) China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(2016M590570) the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(11604322) the Key Programs of the Natural Science Foundation of Heilongjiang Province of China(ZD201415) 

主　　题：Orbital angular momentum Subluminal group velocity Double slitsWave functions Physical reality 

摘      要：Are quantum states real? This most fundamental question in quantum mechanics has not yet been satisfactorily resolved, although its realistic interpretation seems to have been rejected by various delayedchoice experiments. Here, to address this long-standing issue, we present a quantum twisted double-slit experiment. By exploiting the subluminal feature of twisted photons, the real nature of a photon during its time in flight is revealed for the first time. We found that photons arrival times were inconsistent with the states obtained in measurements but agreed with the states during propagation. Our results demonstrate that wavefunctions describe the realistic existence and evolution of quantum entities rather than a pure mathematical abstraction providing a probability list of measurement outcomes. This finding clarifies the long-held misunderstanding of the role of wavefunctions and their collapse in the evolution of quantum entities.