Abstract
We argue that, in the recent letter by A. Danan et al. [PRL 111, 240402 (2013), arXiv:1304.7469], if weak measurements are performed such that complete destructive interference is not disturbed, claims such as "some photons have been inside the inner interferometer but they never entered and never left" should not arise. Standard quantum mechanics not only explains the physics better than the two-state vector formulation the authors advocate, but it can tell a very different story.
Highlights
Danan et al [1] devised an elegant experiment investigating the past of photons inside two Mach-Zehnder interferometers, one inside the other—yet drew the wrong conclusions
That—based on weak measurements on pre- and post-selected states—some photons have been inside the inner interferometer but they never entered and never left
We argue that the story told by the two-state vector formulation (TSVF) that Danan et al advocate is contradictory
Summary
Danan et al [1] devised an elegant experiment investigating the past of photons inside two Mach-Zehnder interferometers, one inside the other—yet drew the wrong conclusions. That—based on weak measurements on pre- and post-selected states—some photons have been inside the inner interferometer but they never entered and never left.
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