Quantum interferometry with single-photon input pulses

We develop a framework for solving the action of a three-channel passive optical in- terferometer on single-photon pulse inputs to each channel using SU(3) group-theoretic methods, which can be readily generalized to higher-order photon-coincidence experi- ments. We show that features of the coincidence plots vs relative time delays of photons yield information about permanents, immanants,and determinants of the interferometer SU(3) matrix.