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Thread: 1 photon and a PBS cube. ???

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    Default 1 photon and a PBS cube. ???

    So if we have a polarizing beamsplitting cube and we send a single photon into it with a polarization angle at 45 degrees to the reflect (and pass through) angles, what happens to it?

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    Quote Originally Posted by maxh View Post
    So if we have a polarizing beamsplitting cube and we send a single photon into it with a polarization angle at 45 degrees to the reflect (and pass through) angles, what happens to it?
    Random exit on either face or a small chance of adsorbtion..

    conservation of energy says you can't create another one, and there is nothing as far as nonlinear optics goes to split it into two lower energy photons, so your choices are adsorption, or emission down one path.

    Steve

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    where are you going to get one photon?
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    JDSU works on single photon diode lasers for ultra secure communications. You can't intercept a single photon transmission without disturbing it. There is also the Free Electron Laser. I believe there was one other.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Laser Ben View Post
    JDSU works on single photon diode lasers for ultra secure communications. You can't intercept a single photon transmission without disturbing it. There is also the Free Electron Laser. I believe there was one other.

    how much information can you pack into a single photon?
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    Quote Originally Posted by maxh View Post
    So if we have a polarizing beamsplitting cube and we send a single photon into it with a polarization angle at 45 degrees to the reflect (and pass through) angles, what happens to it?
    Well, dealing with such small quantities we enter the realm of quantum mechanics. This is a world where strange things happen.

    If measured, it will be found that the photon either passes through or is reflected with a 50% probability. If you don't measure it however, the photon will both pass through and be reflected! To further complicate matters, one could perhaps even set up a Stern-Gerlach type experiment.

    Quote Originally Posted by Laserman532 View Post
    how much information can you pack into a single photon?
    At least 1 qubit!

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    Thanks Tocket for wasting 30 minutes of work-time for my employer and making my head hurt...again!

    " Stern-Gerlach type experiment."


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    This explains it super easy
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDmbdTtcoPM

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    Quote Originally Posted by Snilton View Post
    This explains it super easy
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDmbdTtcoPM
    Actually...no it didnt. Back in the old days during geometric optics course we had to draw (by pencil i might add) ray traces as particles, then the next year during wave optics course we had to ray trace as wave fronts...Why??? because no one knows whether "photons" are waves or particles (it is an electromagnetic something or other) or....Something else completely!!! (insert scary music here).

    But to answer OP question- A single photon going through a PBS cube more than likely will be completely dispursed and absorbed due to scattering effects of the material
    Pat B

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    Quote Originally Posted by Laserman532 View Post
    Why??? because no one knows whether "photons" are waves or particles
    Isnt that what the video kinda said?

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