Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Physical Review A

Time development of photon statistics in fluorescence from single atoms

Theodore Hodapp, M. A. Finn, G. W. Greenlees

Published Oct 1, 1992• 2 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Photons spontaneously emitted from single atoms are necessarily antibunched in time. The statistics of the photon time record, however, can show sub-Poissonian or even super-Poissonian statistics and depend strongly on the time interval used for analysis. In this work we have analyzed photon arrival times from resonantly excited barium atoms in an atomic beam observed under single-atom conditions. The time-interval dependence of photon statistics is presented, showing the connection between antibunching and sub-Poissonian statistics (at times comparable to the spontaneous-decay lifetime of the atom) as well as the evolution of the statistics in the long-time limit.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.46.4234

Related papers

Observation of Sub-Poissonian Photon Statistics

R. Short, L. Mandeļ

The number of photons emitted in a short time interval by a single atom in the process of resonance fluorescence is measured, and it is shown that the probability distribution of this number is sub-Poissonian.

Physical Review Letters•Aug 1, 1983•616 citations

Resonant light scattering from single atoms: Sub-Poissonian statistics versus antibunching

Theodore Hodapp, G. W. Greenlees, M. A. Finn +1 more

Two manifestations of the quantum nature of coherent, resonant light scattering from atoms are photon antibunching and sub-Poissonian statistics. The existence of both effects has been demonstrated previously; in the present work, using individual barium atoms, measurements of the dependence of the latter effect on the frequency of the radiation field are presented. The distinction between the two phenomena is demonstrated by data that exhibit antibunching, yet have a photon counting distribution with variance equal to the Poisson value.

Physical Review A•Mar 1, 1990•7 citations

Photon statistics of a non-stationary periodically driven single-photon source

M Hennrich, T Legero, Axel Kuhn +1 more

We investigate the photon statistics of a single-photon source that operates under non-stationary conditions. The photons are emitted by shining a periodic sequence of laser pulses on single atoms falling randomly through a high-finesse optical cavity. Strong antibunching is found in the intensity correlation of the emitted light, demonstrating that a single atom emits photons one at a time. However, the number of atoms interacting with the cavity follows a Poissonian statistics so that, on average, no sub-Poissonian photon statistics is obtained, unless the measurement is conditioned on the presence of single atoms.

arXiv:quant-ph/0406034•New Journal of Physics•Jul 30, 2004•40 citations

Sub-Poissonian photon statistics in time-dependent collective resonance fluorescence

Vladimír Bužek, Tran Quang, L. H. Lan

We have discussed the photon statistics of the spectral components of N-atom time-dependent resonance fluorescence. It is shown that in contrast to the stationary limit, sub-Poissonian photon statistics in the sidebands occur for any number N of atoms including the case N\ensuremath{\gg}1. Reduction in Mandel's parameters ${\mathit{Q}}_{+1}$ is found with increasing numbers of atoms. The typical time for the presence of sub-Poissonian statistics is proportional to 1/N.

Physical Review A•Jun 1, 1990•14 citations

Sub-poissonian statistics of fluorescence from a single atom driven by a continuous wave laser field

Игорь Сергеевич Осадько

Statistics of fluorescence photons emitted by a single two-level atom interacting with a continuous wave laser field are analyzed. The photon-counting distribution is calculated for the so-called intermediate fluorescence photons, i.e., those counted during the time interval between instants at which photons are emitted. The result is a sub-Poissonian (narrower than Poisson) distribution, which agrees with experimental observations. This intermediate-photon distribution is used to calculate the average number of fluorescence photons, the second factorial moment of the photon-counting distribution, and Mandel’s Q parameter commonly used to evaluate the deviation of photon statistics from the Poisson distribution. The theoretical expressions obtained for moments of the intermediate-photon distribution are different from well-known Mandel’s formulas.

Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics•Jul 1, 2005•14 citations

Sub- and super-Poissonian photon statistics of single-molecule fluorescence blinking

Игорь Сергеевич Осадько

An analysis of intermittent fluorescence is presented for a single molecule driven by a continuous-wave laser field. The interruptions of fluorescence are caused by transition of the molecule to a triplet state. A method previously developed to calculate photon distribution for continuous-wave fluorescence is applied to analyze photon statistics of fluorescence blinking. The probability w N (T) of counting N photons over a time interval T is derived for intermittent fluorescence. The photons counted over relatively short intervals are found to have a sub-Poissonian (narrower than Poisson) distribution. The photon distribution over intervals longer than the mean off time has a complicated form with two maxima; i.e., a super-Poissonian (wider than Poisson) distribution is obtained.

Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics•Jun 1, 2007•9 citations
Photons spontaneously emitted from single atoms are necessarily antibunched in time. The statistics of the photon time record, however, can show sub-Poissonian or even super-Poissonian statistics and depend strongly on the time interval used for analysis. In this work we have analyzed photon arrival times from resonantly excited barium atoms in an atomic beam observed under single-atom conditions. The time-interval dependence of photon statistics is presented, showing the connection between antibunching and sub-Poissonian statistics (at times comparable to the spontaneous-decay lifetime of the atom) as well as the evolution of the statistics in the long-time limit.
Two manifestations of the quantum nature of coherent, resonant light scattering from atoms are photon antibunching and sub-Poissonian statistics. The existence of both effects has been demonstrated previously; in the present work, using individual barium atoms, measurements of the dependence of the latter effect on the frequency of the radiation field are presented. The distinction between the two phenomena is demonstrated by data that exhibit antibunching, yet have a photon counting distribution with variance equal to the Poisson value.
We investigate the photon statistics of a single-photon source that operates under non-stationary conditions. The photons are emitted by shining a periodic sequence of laser pulses on single atoms falling randomly through a high-finesse optical cavity. Strong antibunching is found in the intensity correlation of the emitted light, demonstrating that a single atom emits photons one at a time. However, the number of atoms interacting with the cavity follows a Poissonian statistics so that, on average, no sub-Poissonian photon statistics is obtained, unless the measurement is conditioned on the presence of single atoms.
We have discussed the photon statistics of the spectral components of N-atom time-dependent resonance fluorescence. It is shown that in contrast to the stationary limit, sub-Poissonian photon statistics in the sidebands occur for any number N of atoms including the case N\ensuremath{\gg}1. Reduction in Mandel's parameters Q+1{\mathit{Q}}_{+1}Q+1​ is found with increasing numbers of atoms. The typical time for the presence of sub-Poissonian statistics is proportional to 1/N.
Statistics of fluorescence photons emitted by a single two-level atom interacting with a continuous wave laser field are analyzed. The photon-counting distribution is calculated for the so-called intermediate fluorescence photons, i.e., those counted during the time interval between instants at which photons are emitted. The result is a sub-Poissonian (narrower than Poisson) distribution, which agrees with experimental observations. This intermediate-photon distribution is used to calculate the average number of fluorescence photons, the second factorial moment of the photon-counting distribution, and Mandel’s Q parameter commonly used to evaluate the deviation of photon statistics from the Poisson distribution. The theoretical expressions obtained for moments of the intermediate-photon distribution are different from well-known Mandel’s formulas.
An analysis of intermittent fluorescence is presented for a single molecule driven by a continuous-wave laser field. The interruptions of fluorescence are caused by transition of the molecule to a triplet state. A method previously developed to calculate photon distribution for continuous-wave fluorescence is applied to analyze photon statistics of fluorescence blinking. The probability w N (T) of counting N photons over a time interval T is derived for intermittent fluorescence. The photons counted over relatively short intervals are found to have a sub-Poissonian (narrower than Poisson) distribution. The photon distribution over intervals longer than the mean off time has a complicated form with two maxima; i.e., a super-Poissonian (wider than Poisson) distribution is obtained.