Single-photon excitation of a coherent state: Catching the elementary step of stimulated light emission

Journal Article · Mon Aug 15 00:00:00 EDT 2005 · Physical Review. A

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.72.023820· OSTI ID:20718219

Zavatta, Alessandro; Viciani, Silvia; Bellini, Marco ^[1]

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1. Istituto Nazionale di Ottica Applicata, L.go E. Fermi, 6, I-50125, Florence (Italy)

When a single quantum of electromagnetic field excitation is added to the same spatiotemporal mode of a coherent state, a new field state is generated that exhibits intermediate properties between those of the two parents. Such a single-photon-added coherent state is obtained by the action of the photon creation operator on a coherent state and can thus be regarded as the result of the most elementary excitation process of a classical light field. Here we present and describe in depth the experimental realization of such states and their complete analysis by means of a novel ultrafast, time-domain, quantum homodyne tomography technique clearly revealing their nonclassical character.

• OSTI ID: 20718219
• Journal Information: Physical Review. A, Vol. 72, Issue 2; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.72.023820; (c) 2005 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1050-2947
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
ANNIHILATION OPERATORS
CREATION OPERATORS
EIGENSTATES
ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS
EXCITATION
OPTICS
PHOTONS
QUANTUM MECHANICS
STIMULATED EMISSION
TOMOGRAPHY
VISIBLE RADIATION