Experimental verification of a tighter wave-particle duality based on quantum coherence

Abstract Wave-particle duality is an inherent characteristic of microscopic systems, which exhibit both wave-like and particle-like behaviors depending on the experimental setup. On the other hand, quantum coherence refers to the ability of a quantum state to preserve its superposition despite interactions and thermalization effects. In this study, we experimentally investigate a tighter wave-particle duality based on quantum coherence. We construct a heralded single-photon source and use the expect values of Pauli operators to quantify the interferometric visibility and path distinguishability of photons. By employing quantum state tomography, we reconstruct the density matrix of the quantum state and assess its quantum coherence. Our results provide experimental evidence for the tighter wave-particle duality based on quantum coherence.