We theoretically generate nonclassical states from a coherent state heralded by Knill–Laflamme–Milburn (KLM)-type interference. Injecting a coherent state in signal mode and two single-photon sources in the other two auxiliary modes of KLM-type interferometry, a broad class of useful nonclassical states is obtained in the output signal port after making two single-photon-counting measurements in the two output auxiliary modes. The nonclassical properties, in terms of the antibunching effect and the squeezing effect as well as the negativity of the Wigner function, are studied in detail by adjusting the interaction parameters. The results show that the input coherent state can be transformed into non-Gaussian states with higher nonclassicality after measurement induction. The maximum squeezing of our generated states is about 1.97928 dB.
We theoretically generate nonclassical states from a coherent state heralded by Knill–Laflamme–Milburn (KLM)-type interference. Injecting a coherent state in signal mode and two single-photon sources in the other two auxiliary modes of KLM-type interferometry, a broad class of useful nonclassical states is obtained in the output signal port after making two single-photon-counting measurements in the two output auxiliary modes. The nonclassical properties, in terms of the antibunching effect and the squeezing effect as well as the negativity of the Wigner function, are studied in detail by adjusting the interaction parameters. The results show that the input coherent state can be transformed into non-Gaussian states with higher nonclassicality after measurement induction. The maximum squeezing of our generated states is about 1.97928 dB.
Based on heralded interference on a six-port Mach-Zehnder interferometer, we propose protocols to generate a series of multiphoton states in primary output port, by injecting a coherent state in primary input port and two Fock states in two ancillary input ports, and measuring two Fock states in two ancillary output ports. Only manipulating at the single-photon level (i.e, |0> or |1>) in all ancillary ports, we generate sixteen types (six categories) of multiphoton nonclassical states, whose state vectors are unified as superposition of a new coherent state, a single-photon added coherent state, and a two-photon added coherent state. Indeed, a wide range of nonclassical phenomena can be created by modulating the interaction parameters (including coherent field strength and shift phase). We mainly analyze quadrature-squeezing effects for all our considered states. Of particular interest is maximum squeezing of up to 2.57dB, with success probability 6.7%, at least in our present cases.
Abstract We propose a theoretical protocol to generate a kind of non-Gaussian state—a Laguerre polynomial excited coherent state (LPECS) by exploiting a two-mode squeezing transformation and a conditional measurement with a coherent state input. Then we investigate the nonclassical features of the LPECS according to the Glauber–Sudarshan P ( α ) function, photon number distribution, Mandel’s Q parameter, second-order correlation function, and squeezing properties as well as negative Wigner distribution. Our results show that the generated output state presents obvious nonclassical properties which can be modulated by a coherent amplitude, a squeezing parameter and a conditional measurement. In particular, the squeezing and negative Wigner function are clear.
Abstract Conditional measurement schemes, which employ linear optical elements and photon detectors, have recently become powerful tools for generating and enriching nonclassical states in single- and multi-mode scenarios. Here, the nonclassical resourcefulness of a simple single-mode conditional measurement (CM) setup, with a coherent state as one input state, is examined. Studying the output of this setup in the form of displaced qudits (DQ) simplifies the complete characterization of nonclassical resources. The figures of merit of the prepared states are evaluated through quadrature squeezing and some of the non-Gaussian measures such as the Hilbert–Schmidt distance, the quantum relative entropy and the Wigner negativity to identify the squeezing and non-Gaussianity of the states, respectively. The squeezing capacity of the DQ output is compared with the achievable squeezing in finite superposed Fock states, since DQ also constitute a finite-dimensional representation. This optimal squeezing is attained when the detector detects the single photons in the CM setup. All the studied non-Gaussian measures confirm the qualitative agreement that the non-Gaussianity of the setup is limited and does not exceed that of the input number state. The interplay of nonclassical resources between non-Gaussianity and squeezing is exemplified, showing that states exhibiting non-Gaussianity do not exhibit squeezing, and vice versa. In addition, experimental imperfections, such as photon-source impurities and detector inefficiencies, are accommodated to analyze the realistic preparation of DQ. The calculated success probabilities are around 15 % to create the maximally squeezed states under experimental conditions. It demonstrates the potential of nonclassical state generation with minimal nonclassical inputs through the CM scheme.
The concept of photon antibunching as a manifestation of nonclassical character in single-mode radiation is extended to two-mode radiation. A simple criterion for the existence of nonclassical effects in two-mode radiation is established. It implies that the intermode photon bunching, rather than antibunching, can play a key role in rendering two-mode radiation nonclassical. The two-mode squeezed vacuum states are used as simple examples to illustrate the essential point of the criterion. The criterion is then used to study the nonclassical properties of two types of two-mode squeezed states. A state generated by applying the squeeze operator to the two-mode vacuum first, followed by the displacement operator, is called a two-mode coherent squeezed state. If the order of the two operators is reversed, a two-mode squeezed coherent state is obtained. It is found that the latter has a much stronger tendency to become a nonclassical state than the former, assuming that the parameters involved are all the same. A measure of nonclassical depth of radiation is adopted. It is found that, according to this measure, the effect of squeezing in making two-mode coherent squeezed states nonclassical is not monotonic. Such phenomena do not occur in squeezed coherent states.
Abstract We propose a scheme to generate a new kind of non-Gaussian state—the Laguerre polynomial excited coherent state (LPECS)—by using multiphoton catalysis with coherent state input. The nonclassical properties of the LPECS are studied in terms of nonclassical depth, Mandel’s parameter, second-order correlation, quadrature squeezing, and the negativity of the Wigner function (WF). It is found that the LPECS is highly nonclassical and its nonclassicality depends on the amplitude of the coherent state, the catalysis photon number, and the parameters of the unbalanced beam splitter (BS). In particular, the maximum degree of squeezing can be enhanced by increasing the catalysis photon number. In addition, we examine the effect of decoherence using the WF, which shows that the negative region, the characteristic time of decoherence, and the structure of the WF are affected by catalysis photon number and the parameters of the unbalanced BS. Our work provides general analysis on how to prepare polynomial quantum states, which may be useful in the fields of quantum information and quantum computation.
We develop a multimode theory to design the frequency mode matching in the photon-subtracting operation by an on/off-type photon detector on a wideband squeezed light. The output state thus generated is known to be the Schr\"odinger-cat-like state. Its Wigner function constructed by the homodyne tomography must have a negative dip around the phase space origin. In order to observe this nonclassical effect, however, one must achieve good mode matching between the fields observed by the on/off and homodyne detectors, those are quite different types from each other. The events are defined for finite measurement time duration T, and are measured by the homodyne detector with finite bandwidth B. We provide an explicit formulus to calculate the Wigner function of the state, taking into account multimode aspects of the squeezed light and the time and band limitation to the quantum states. A unified picture of the mode matching in terms of the single parameter BT is presented, covering the cw and pulsed schemes. The nonclassical effect can be realized and measured most remarkably when the modes excited in the detectors could be restricted to a single mode by taking BT as small as possible, and could reduce dark counts in the on/off detector and the vacuum noise invasion in the homodyne detector. Practical design of experimental setup is described based on presently available technologies.