M Suda et al 2004 J. Opt. B: Quantum Semiclass. Opt. 6 345 doi:10.1088/1464-4266/6/7/012
M Suda1,2, H Rauch2 and M Peev1
Show affiliationsVarious phase shifters and absorbers can be put into the arms of a double-loop neutron interferometer. The mean intensity levels of the forward and diffracted beams behind an empty four-plate interferometer of this type have been calculated. It is shown that the intensities in the forward and diffracted directions can be made equal using certain absorbers. In this case the interferometer can be regarded as a 50/50 beam splitter. Furthermore, the visibilities of single- and double-loop interferometers are compared to each other by varying the transmission in the first loop using different absorbers. It can be shown that the visibility becomes exactly unity using a phase shifter in the second loop. In this case the phase shifter in the second loop must be strongly correlated to the transmission coefficient of the absorber in the first loop. Using such a device homodyne-like measurements of very weak signals should become possible.
Quantum gases, liquids and solids
Issue 7 (July 2004)
Received 1 April 2004, accepted for publication 10 May 2004
Published 8 June 2004
M Suda et al 2004 J. Opt. B: Quantum Semiclass. Opt. 6 345
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