Past exam of the theoretical physics II course of the University of Cambridge / 2015 / Paper 1 / 5 / e

The exponential input has norm squared $\exp (|{\alpha }_1{|}^2+|{\alpha }_2{|}^2)$. Its normalized form is a product of coherent states. Substitution of the inverse transformation givesSince the output creation operators commute, the normalized output factorizes as $|{\beta }_1⟩|{\beta }_2⟩$. For all nonnegative integers $n_1,n_2$,These are independent Poisson distributions, not a fixed-total-particle-number distribution. unitarity gives $|{\beta }_1{|}^2+|{\beta }_2{|}^2=|{\alpha }_1{|}^2+|{\alpha }_2{|}^2$. Equal complex inputs make ${\beta }_2=0$, so that port is certainly empty; opposite inputs empty port 1. This is amplitude interference of coherent inputs, distinct from the fixed-number two-particle interference in (c).