Interference of Light in Michelson-Morley Interferometer: A Quantum Optical Approach

TL;DR

This paper presents a quantum-optics analysis of light interference in a Michelson-Morley interferometer, demonstrating its potential for temperature measurement and distinguishing quantum from classical light using single-photon detection.

Contribution

It introduces a quantum field theory framework for analyzing MMI interference, enabling temperature sensing and quantum-classical light differentiation with simple intensity measurements.

Findings

Interference pattern depends on temperature differences between sources.

The MMI can be used for high-precision cosmic microwave background measurements.

Quantum states influence the interference response distinctly from classical states.

Abstract

We investigate how the temporal coherence interference properties of light in a Michelson-Morley interferometer (MMI), using only a single-photon detector, can be understood in a quantum-optics framework in a straightforward and pedagogical manner. For this purpose we make use of elementary quantum field theory and Glaubers theory for photon detection in order to calculate the expected interference pattern in the MMI. If a thermal reference source is used in the MMI local oscillator port in combination with a thermal source in the signal port, the interference pattern revealed by such an intensity measurement shows a distinctive dependence on the differences in the temperature of the two sources. The MMI can therefore be used in order to perform temperature measurements. A related method was actually used to carry out high precision measurements of the cosmic micro-wave background radiation on board of the COBE satellite. The theoretical framework allows us to consider any initial quantum state. The interference of single photons as a tool to determine the angular peak-frequency of a one-photon pulse interfering with a single-photon reference pulse is, e.g., considered. A similar consideration for coherent laser pulses leads to a different response in the detector. The MMI experimental setup is therefore in a sense an example of an optical device where one can exhibit the difference between classical and quantum-mechanical light using only intensity measurements.