Study on sensitivity improvement of unbalanced interferometers through optical amplification

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1000-5641.2026.04.003

Abstract

Abstract:

The Mach-Zehnder interferometer is a key tool for precision measurement, and its phase sensitivity is critical to measurement accuracy. However, photon loss limits the increase in phase sensitivity. Although adjusting the interferometer’s splitting ratio can reduce the impact of unbalanced loss, increasing absolute sensitivity remains an unresolved issue. To compensate for photon loss, this study introduces an amplifier into a Mach-Zehnder unbalanced lossy interferometer with an adjustable splitting ratio. Theoretical analysis shows that this scheme can significantly improve phase sensitivity, with more pronounced enhancement effects observed as loss increases, exhibiting good adaptability and robustness. Compared with increasing input light intensity, this scheme provides a novel approach to improving interferometer performance.

Key words: Mach–Zehnder interferometer, loss, amplifier, phase sensitivity

CLC Number:

O431

Tingting JIANG, Yuan WU, Liqing CHEN. Study on sensitivity improvement of unbalanced interferometers through optical amplification[J]. J* E* C* N* U* N* S*, 2026, 2026(4): 21-28.

Figures/Tables 7

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