Aug 1 2014
The Mach–Zehnder interferometer is a simple highly configurable device used to demonstrate interference by division of amplitude. The device is named after physicists Ludwig Mach and Ludwig Zehnder. The Mach–Zehnder interferometer can determine the relative phase shift variations between two collimated beams, derived by splitting light from a single source.
A beamsplitter is used in order to split a light beam into two parts. The split beam is then recombined by a second beamsplitter. Based on the relative phase acquired by the beam along the two paths, the second beamsplitter will reflect the beam with an efficiency between 0 and 100%.
The Mach–Zehnder interferometer also enables the determination of the wavelength of a laser beam, the ability to determine the refractive index of a transparent material and also to establish the refractive index of air.
Advantages
The Mach-Zehnder interferometer provides flexibility in fringe localization, which is not possible with other interferometers. Although a rectangular arrangement is commonly used in Mach-Zehnder interferometers, parallelogram arrangements can also be formed.
Applications
The configuration of the Mach–Zehnder is versatile, therefore it can be used in several fundamental research topics such as quantum mechanics, including studies on counterfactual definiteness, quantum computation, quantum entanglement, quantum logic, quantum cryptography, quantum Zeno effect, quantum eraser experiment, quantum electronics and neutron diffraction.
The Mach–Zehnder interferometer is widely used to study transparent objects and is very useful in analyzing wind tunnel gas dynamics. It has also been adapted for multi-purpose sensing applications in the last few years.
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