Abstract

In this paper, a Mach–Zehnder interferometer is analyzed with a single photon Gaussian wave packet at one of its input ports and vacuum state at the other input port. Various noises arising in the Mach–Zehnder interferometer such as photon flux noise and quadrature noise are mathematically analyzed. The effect of variation in device parameters on the power spectral density at the output ports of the Mach–Zehnder interferometer is studied. It is observed that the power spectral density of photon flux noise autocorrelation at the output ports of a Mach–Zehnder interferometer is a function of phase shift, whereas the power spectral density of quadrature noise autocorrelation at the output ports of a Mach–Zehnder interferometer is a function of frequency of a single photon wave packet and the phase shift. The analysis carried out in this paper will be helpful in understanding the quantum fluctuations in the design of quantum logic devices and circuits where the Mach–Zehnder interferometer is a core building block.

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