Abstract
We present the first realization of a measurement of a weak value, a concept recently introduced by Aharonov, Albert, and Vaidman (AAV). Our experiment uses a birefringent crystal to separate the two linear-polarization components of a laser beam by a distance small compared to the laser-beam waist. This weak measurement is followed by a strong measurement which translates the centroid of the beam by a distance far larger than the birefringence-induced separation. In addition, we present data corresponding to orthogonal initial and final states, for which the weak value is not defined. This interference effect may have application in the amplification and detection of weak effects.
Recommended Citation
N. W. Ritchie et al., "Realization of a Measurement of a Weak Value," Physical Review Letters, vol. 66, no. 9, pp. 1107 - 1110, American Physical Society (APS), Mar 1991.
The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.66.1107
Department(s)
Physics
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
0031-9007
Document Type
Article - Journal
Document Version
Final Version
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 1991 American Physical Society (APS), All rights reserved.
Publication Date
01 Mar 1991
