STOCHASTIC INTERFEROMETER

The realization of the optical stochastic (or nonstationary) field interferometer (Sto-IF) is reported. By this device, whose properties are determined by those of the stochastic beam splitter (Sto-BS), relevant Bose-Einstein correlations are generated within the investigated particle field. A very general quantum theory of Sto-BS and Sto-IF is reported. Because it accounts for any distribution function of the Sto-BS driving field, this theory embodies the formal content and the results of previous interferometry theories. All theoretical results are substantiated by an experiment carried out with a Mach-Zehnder Sto-IF. Basic considerations on Bohr's complementarity in stochastic interferometry are expressed on the basis of Shannon's information theory applied to the particle welcher weg problem.