Interferometric Optics

This is a brief description of the N-slit quantum interference computer (NQIC). As explained in the references Dirac's quantum approach is applicable to the propagation of a single photon or to the propagation of ensembles of indistinguishable photons.

Optical architecture for the multiple-prism quantum N-slit quantum interference computer. The beam incident on the N-slit array can be, for example, 25-60 mm wide X 20 µm high thus allowing for the illumination of a very large number of slits.

Coptutational times of a universal classical computer (t_UCC) as a function of N. For all these computations the processing times with the N-slit quantum interference computer t_NQIC are in the millisecond range with most of the time consumed by the electronics. Photonics times are in the sub nanosecond regime. Original data disclosed in Duarte (1995).

The physics of these computations is described by the generalized interferometric quantum probability equation

Comparisons between theory and experiments, in the NQIC configuration, have been performed for even values (N = 2, 4, 6...) and odd values (N = 3, 5, 7...) of N. This includes the cases of two-slit interference, three-slit interference, four-slit interference, up to N = 2000. For reviews see Tunable Laser Optics and Tunable Laser Applications).

References

• F J Duarte, Quantum Clear: Quantum Mechanics Free of Paradoxes (CRC Press, New York, 2026)
  
  
• F J Duarte, Tunable Laser Optics (Elsevier Academic, New York, 2003)
  
  
• F J Duarte, Generalized interference equation and optical processing, in Proceedings of the International Conference on Lasers '95 (STS Press, McLean, 1996) pp 615-617
  
  
• F J Duarte, in High Power Dye Lasers (Springer, Berlin, 1991) Chapter 2
  
  
• F J Duarte, On a generalized interference equation and interferometric measurements Optics Communications 103 8-14 (1993)
  
  
• F J Duarte, Beam shaping with telescopes and multiple-prism beam expanders Journal of the Optical Society of America A 4 P30 (1987)