The Afshar experiment is a relatively simple two-slit experiment with results that show a
discrepancy with the predictions of Bohr's Principle of Complementarity. We report on
the results of a calculation using a simpler but equivalent set-up called the modified
Afshar experiment. Numerical results are in agreement with the experimental
measurements performed on the Afshar experiment set-up. Calculations show that the
level of which-way information and visibility in the Afshar experiment is higher than
originally estimated.
In an analysis of the Afshar experiment R.E. Kastner points out that the selection system used in this
experiment randomly separates the photons that go to the detectors, and therefore no which-way
information is obtained. In this paper we present a modified but equivalent version of the Afshar
experiment that does not contain a selection device. The double-slit is replaced by two separate coherent
laser beams that overlap under a small angle. At the intersection of the beams an interference pattern can be
inferred in a non-perturbative manner, which confirms the existence of a superposition state. In the far field
the beams separate without the use of a lens system. Momentum conservation warranties that which-way
information is preserved. We also propose an alternative sequence of Stern-Gerlach devices that represents
a close analogue to the Afshar experimental set up.
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