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Journal of the Optical Society of America B

Squeezed-light generation by four-wave mixing near an atomic resonance

Richard E. Slusher, Daniel F. Walls, M. D. Reid, Bernard Yurke, Philippe Grangier, Arthur LaPorta

Published Oct 1, 1987• 104 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Squeezed light generated by four-wave mixing near the Na atomic resonance is compared with a full quantum-theoretical model. Losses and dephasing that are due to spontaneous emission near the atomic resonance are included in this theoretical treatment. The experimental results show noise reduction greater than 1 dB below the standard quantum limits and are in good agreement with the quantum model at low pump intensities and large detuning. Theory and experiment show that limits to squeezed-light noise reduction resulting from spontaneous-emission losses can be largely avoided by using nondegenerate four-wave mixing and pump intensities near the atomic saturation values.

DOI
10.1364/josab.4.001453

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Physical Review Letters•Feb 17, 1986•31 citations
Squeezed light generated by four-wave mixing near the Na atomic resonance is compared with a full quantum-theoretical model. Losses and dephasing that are due to spontaneous emission near the atomic resonance are included in this theoretical treatment. The experimental results show noise reduction greater than 1 dB below the standard quantum limits and are in good agreement with the quantum model at low pump intensities and large detuning. Theory and experiment show that limits to squeezed-light noise reduction resulting from spontaneous-emission losses can be largely avoided by using nondegenerate four-wave mixing and pump intensities near the atomic saturation values.
Quantum-noise reduction to levels nearly 1 dB below the standard quantum limit are reported for light frequencies near an atomic-sodium resonance. This squeezed light is generated in an optical confocal cavity using four-wave mixing due to the atomic-sodium resonance nonlinearity. Squeezed light exits the cavity through a partially reflecting mirror and is detected outside the cavity with a balanced homodyne detector. Experimental details are described for minimizing losses in the atomic beam and detection apparatus. Frequency jitter due to the pump laser also plays a key role in the limits for noise reduction. A wideband phenomenological model is used to analyse the results. Good agreement between this model and the experimental results is obtained. A full quantum model also agrees with the results and predicts even larger squeezing at higher pump intensities. Prospects for achieving this larger-noise-reduction regime are good.
Squeezed states of light have been predicted to be generated by four-wave mixing in cavity configurations. Any noise fields in the cavity can degrade or modify these squeezed states. An experiment using a Na atomic beam as the nonlinear mixing medium shows that spontaneous emission from the excited atoms results in a broadband frequency spectrum of noise in the cavity used for squeezing. The limits this noise places on the observed amount of squeezing and possible techniques for avoiding this noise source are discussed.
We demonstrate the possibility to generate squeezed vacuum states of light by four wave mixing (FWM) enabled coherent population trapping in a metastable helium cell at room temperature. Contrary to usual FWM far detuned schemes, we work at resonance with an atomic transition. We investigate the properties of such states and show that the noise variances of the squeezed and anti-squeezed quadratures cannot be explained by the simple presence of losses. A specific model allows us to demonstrate the role played by spontaneous emitted photons, which experience squeezing while propagation inside of the cell. This theoretical model, which takes into account both residual absorption and spontaneous emission, leads to an excellent agreement with the experimental data without any adjusted parameter.
Squeezed states of the electromagnetic field have been generated by nondegenerate four-wave mixing due to Na atoms in an optical cavity. The optical noise in the cavity, comprised of primarily vacuum fluctuations and a small component of spontaneous emission from the pumped Na atoms, is amplified in one quadrature of the optical field and deamplified in the other quadrature. These quadrature components are measured with a balanced homodyne detector. The total noise level in the deamplified quadrature drops below the vacuum noise level.