The Three-Polarizing-Sheets Experiment

Learn about the principle of superposition using an experiment of three polarizing sheets.

I want to show you a simple experiment you can do at home. I believe this experiment should be done by everyone who is interested in QC and QIS. We will use changes in basis states to illustrate what I think is the fundamental feature of quantum mechanics: superposition states. All you need are three sheets of linear polarizing material and a source of light. Your eyes will serve as the measurement detector. As mentioned before, for the polarizing sheets you could use polarizing sunglasses. Relatively inexpensive linear polarizing sheets are available from many suppliers online.

First, you need to find the transmission axis directions for the polarizing sheets. This is easy to do using the setup shown in the following figure:

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Introduction

Traditional Computing

Traditional Bits in New Clothing

Qubits and Quantum States

Quantum Measurements

Quantum Gates and Quantum Circuits

Putting a Spin on Spin

Your Basis, My Basis

Multi-Qubit Systems, Entanglement, and Quantum Weirdness

Quantum Circuits and Multi-Qubit Applications

Quantum Computing Algorithms

Implement the Deutsch Algorithm with Qiskit

More Quantum Algorithms

Factoring Algorithm

Implement Shor’s Factoring Algorithm Using Qiskit

Fundamental Quantum Issues

Complexifying Quantum States

Present and Future QIS and QC

The Three-Polarizing-Sheets Experiment