A Mach–Zehnder interferometer routes probability amplitudes through two arms. The recombining splitter converts phase difference into detector probabilities, and individual clicks accumulate from those probabilities.
• A 3D bench with a single-quantum source, a first 50:50 splitter, two optical arms, an optional output splitter and individual-click detectors. • Controls for relative arm phase (0–360°), coherence visibility, inserting the second beam splitter, and detected trials per second. • Four tabs: Quantum bench, Probabilities & measurements, Experiments (with built-in model checks), and Learn & assess.
With recombination: P0 = (1 + V cosφ)/2 and P1 = 1 − P0. Without the second splitter: P0 = P1 = 1/2. Each trial samples one Bernoulli outcome, so there are no split detections: every click is a single, whole event even though the probabilities depend on both amplitudes.
The model is an ideal lossless 50:50 interferometer with phenomenological visibility. It has no multi-photon statistics, detector loss, polarization or optical-coating calculation. The moving path markers illustrate amplitudes; they do not reveal a photon trajectory.
No. Detection is individual even though the probabilities depend on both amplitudes: each trial samples one Bernoulli outcome and registers a single click.
No. Without the second beam splitter, P0 = P1 = 1/2 regardless of the phase setting, because this ideal path measurement has no interference between the outputs.
With full visibility, every ideal trial goes to detector 1 (the "Dark port exchange" preset); at 0 degrees every ideal trial goes to detector 0 (the "Bright port" preset).
It is an ideal lossless 50:50 interferometer with phenomenological visibility, with no multi-photon statistics, detector loss, polarization or coating calculation, and a trial cap of 6,000. Moving path markers do not reveal a photon trajectory.