Nonclassical states that generate zero entanglement with a beam splitter

Abstract

Beam splitters are routinely used for generating entanglement. Their entangling properties have been studied extensively, with nonclassicality of the input states a prerequisite for entanglement at the output. Here we quantify the amount of entanglement generated by weakly-reflecting beam splitters, and look for nonclassical states that are not entangled by general beam splitters. We find that inputting highly nonclassical combinations of unpolarized states that are squeezed and displaced onto a beam splitter can still yield separable output states. This result is crucial for understanding the generation of modal entanglement by beam splitters.