Vacuum birefringence measurement schemes employing high-power lasers and a Mach–Zehnder interferometer

Abstract Interest in laser-pumped vacuum birefringence experiments increased in the last decade due to the availability of PW (peta-Watt) class lasers, providing unprecedented focused intensities ∼10 23 − 10 24 W/cm 2 . In this paper we address all-optical vacuum birefringence measurement schemes based on a Mach–Zehnder interferometer (MZI). We discuss in detail the pump-induced vacuum signal as well as the expected phase sensitivity of an interferometer driven by classical and non-classical input states. We also take into account potential parasitic signals. We point out experimental setups and required parameters that put the vacuum birefringence signal in the detectable range.