We formulate a general theory of wave-particle duality for many-body quantum states, which quantifies how wavelike and particlelike properties balance each other. Much as in the well-understood single-particle case, which-way information - here, on the level of many-particle paths - lends particle character, while interference - here, due to coherent superpositions of many-particle amplitudes - indicates wavelike properties. We analyze how many-particle which-way information, continuously tunable by the level of distinguishability of fermionic or bosonic, identical and possibly interacting particles, constrains interference contributions to many-particle observables and thus controls the quantum-to-classical transition in many-particle quantum systems. The versatility of our theoretical framework is illustrated for Hong-Ou-Mandel-like and Bose-Hubbard-like exemplary settings.
CITATION STYLE
Dittel, C., Dufour, G., Weihs, G., & Buchleitner, A. (2021). Wave-Particle Duality of Many-Body Quantum States. Physical Review X, 11(3). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevX.11.031041
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