Single-photon test of Hyper-Complex Quantum Theories

          @misc{ pirsa_PIRSA:16090053,
            doi = {10.48660/16090053},
            url = {https://pirsa.org/16090053},
            author = {Procopio, Lorenzo},
            keywords = {Quantum Foundations},
            language = {en},
            title = {Single-photon test of Hyper-Complex Quantum Theories},
            publisher = {Perimeter Institute},
            year = {2016},
            month = {sep},
            note = {PIRSA:16090053 see, \url{https://pirsa.org}}
          }
          

Abstract

One of the most successful theories in physics until now is quantum mechanics. However, the physical origins of its mathematical structure are still under debate, and a "generalized" quantum theory to unify quantum mechanics and gravity is still missing. Recently, in an effort to better understand the mathematical structure of quantum mechanics, theories containing the essence of quantum mechanics, while also having a broader description of physical phenomena, have been proposed. These so-called "post-quantum theories" have only been recently tested at the lab. In this talk, I will present the results of our experimental test using single photons to probe one of these post-quantum theories; namely, hyper-complex quantum theories. Interestingly, in hyper-complex theories simple phases do not necessarily commute. To study this effect, we apply two physically different optical phases, one with a positive and one with a negative refractive index, to single photons inside of a Sagnac interferometer. Through our measurements we are able put bounds on this particular prediction of hyper-complex quantum theories.