Interference intermediate phenomena and quantum entanglement: the virtual Mach-Zehnder interferometer integrated with teaching activities

Abstract

In this paper, we present a set of teaching activities that can be used to explore concepts of Quantum Physics from the computer simulation of the Mach-Zehnder interferometer. These activities were developed according to Vygotsky’s mediation theory and Bakhtin’s linguistic philosophy in a PhD research. The set of activities is one of the steps that compose the restructuring of the computer simulation, allowing one to explore beyond the polarization of light and demolition detectors, the beam splitters with variable coefficients and the non-demolition detectors. This makes it possible to simulate interference in classical system (laser source), in quantum system (single photon), intermediate phenomena of quantum interference and quantum entanglement. Students’ understanding of these phenomena is not trivial, requiring great qualitative changes. The mediation by software and didactic activities seeks to be a means for this to be established. These teaching activities, whose main function is to work as mediational tools in the teaching-learning process, behaves as a starting point for more phenomenological approaches to Quantum Physics (not necessarily be limited to) both in Pre-service Physics teachers’ as Bachelor Physics courses.

Keywords

• Atividades didáticas
• Interferômetro Virtual de Mach-Zehnder
• Ensino de Física Quântica