Building a Mach–Zehnder interferometer

[Xilor]

Hello, I was interested in building a Mach-Zender interferometer at home, and I was wondering if that is possible within reason and if anyone on here would happen to have some useful advice on how to accomplish this.

What kind of (affordable) components would be recommended to use?

How can the kind of precision needed in the positioning of the components be best achieved and maintained?

What steps need to be taken to ensure that a minimal amount of light follows the path that shouldn't be taken? (vacuum? dustfree? close positioning of components?)

 

[mmmcheechy]

hey xilor
I know this is an old post but I would also like to build a Mach-Zender interferometer. did you build one and if so how did it go.
I made a simple Michelson interferometer and got some nice fringes with a cheap dollar store laser pointer. I tried rearranging it tonight by adding a beamsplitter and moving the mirrors but i wasn't able to produce any fringes at all. I don't know why exactly. perhaps good alignment is much more critical. with the Michelson set up alignment only improved the quality of the fringes but was hardly necessary to producing fringes at all.