Measurement of a Weak Value
Abstract
Weak measurements are measurements in which the coupling between the measuring device and the observable to be measured is so weak that the eigenvalues of the observable are not resolved. Under certain circumstances the corresponding eigenfunctions can be made to interfere, producing a measurement result which is outside the allowed range of the observable's eigenvalues. We present the first measurement of this so-called "weak value" using an optical experiment. In our experiment, the small displacement between the two orthogonally polarized components of a laser beam passed through a birefringence crystal is measured. We use a numerical simulation to show that this phenomenon may be practical for detecting and amplifying small effects.
Recommended Citation
R. G. Hulet et al., "Measurement of a Weak Value," Zeitschrift fur Naturforschung A, vol. 52, no. 1-2, pp. 31 - 33, Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Jan 1997.
Department(s)
Physics
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
0932-0784
Document Type
Article - Journal
Document Version
Citation
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 1997 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, All rights reserved.
Publication Date
01 Jan 1997
