  We present a web-based software tool, the Virtual Quantum Optics Laboratory
(VQOL), that may be used for designing and executing realistic simulations of
quantum optics experiments. A graphical user interface allows one to rapidly
build and configure a variety of different optical experiments, while the
runtime environment provides unique capabilities for visualization and
analysis. All standard linear optical components are available as well as
sources of thermal, coherent, and entangled Gaussian states. A unique aspect of
VQOL is the introduction of non-Gaussian measurements using detectors modeled
as deterministic devices that "click" when the amplitude of the light falls
above a given threshold. We describe the underlying theoretical models and
provide several illustrative examples. We find that VQOL provides a a faithful
representation of many experimental quantum optics phenomena and may serve as
both a useful instructional tool for students as well as a valuable research
tool for practitioners.
