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Quantum Optics Journal of the European Optical Society Part B

Role of quantum interference in producing non-classical states

P. Domokos, József Janszky, Петер Адам, T Larsen

Published Jun 1, 1994• 14 citations

Abstract

Approximating a continuous superposition by a discrete one leads to an understanding of the role of quantum interference in generating squeezed coherent states, and in its quantum properties. It was shown that discrete superposition with a large enough number of coherent states with appropriate coefficients can have practically the same features as the squeezed coherent state. Dependent on the parameters W, r and 8, different numbers of coherent states are required for the interference fringe to form a Wigner function resembling that of the squeezed vacuum state and to reduce the deviation below a certain value. For the case of rotating the direction of squeezing, about 20 states were required to lower the deviation to 0.05%, while 640 states would be necessary when a unit displacement along the imaginary axis is included. When only a few coherent states are superimposed, the resulting state changes chaotically. In the case when the approximated squeezed coherent state was displaced along the imaginary axis an interesting Schrodinger cat-like state was found with about 20 coherent states on the real axis. At this point a significant peak occurs in the variances of the quadratures. It turned out that non-classical states can be effectively produced by a discrete superposition of coherent states with the coefficients derived from the one-dimensional representation of the given state.

DOI: 10.1088/0954-8998/6/3/005

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Approximating a continuous superposition by a discrete one leads to an understanding of the role of quantum interference in generating squeezed coherent states, and in its quantum properties. It was shown that discrete superposition with a large enough number of coherent states with appropriate coefficients can have practically the same features as the squeezed coherent state. Dependent on the parameters W, r and 8, different numbers of coherent states are required for the interference fringe to form a Wigner function resembling that of the squeezed vacuum state and to reduce the deviation below a certain value. For the case of rotating the direction of squeezing, about 20 states were required to lower the deviation to 0.05%, while 640 states would be necessary when a unit displacement along the imaginary axis is included. When only a few coherent states are superimposed, the resulting state changes chaotically. In the case when the approximated squeezed coherent state was displaced along the imaginary axis an interesting Schrodinger cat-like state was found with about 20 coherent states on the real axis. At this point a significant peak occurs in the variances of the quadratures. It turned out that non-classical states can be effectively produced by a discrete superposition of coherent states with the coefficients derived from the one-dimensional representation of the given state.

As a generalization of the optical Schr\"odinger cats, discrete sets of coherent states are considered on a circle in the \ensuremath{\alpha} plane. It is shown that simple superpositions of Schr\"odinger cats exhibit amplitude squeezing, similarly to the case of a superposition of several coherent states along a straight line that shows quadrature squeezing. The interference fringes between the coherent states form the annuli of the Fock states in the Wigner-function picture. It is also shown that a continuous superposition of coherent states on a circle can serve as a basis for the representation of any state.

In this paper we discuss the nonclassical properties of quantum superpositions of coherent states of light. Using general expressions for the Wigner functions of superposition states we analyze the consequences of quantum interference between coherent states. We describe in detail nonclassical properties of a superposition of two coherent states. In particular, we study the oscillatory behavior of the photon number distribution of the even and odd coherent states. We show under which conditions a superposition of two coherent states can exhibit second- and fourth-order squeezing or sub-Poissonian photon statistics. We examine the sensitivity of nonclassical effects such as oscillations in the photon number distribution or second-order squeezing to dissipation. We demonstrate that quantities such as the photon number distribution and interferences in phase space are highly sensitive to even a quite small dissipative coupling, because they depend on all moments of the field observables, and higher moments decay more rapidly than lower moments. Quantities such as quadrature squeezing, on the other hand, are more robust against dissipation because they involve only lower moments. Finally, we find a remarkable effect whereby fourth-order squeezing is generated by damping.

Abstract Superposition of two coherent states, the Schrodinger’s cat state, can exhibit different nonclassical properties having foundational applications in quantum information processing. We consider the ‘superposition of Schrodinger’s cat state with the vacuum state (SCVS)’ of the optical field. We discuss different witness of nonclassicality properties such as lower- and higher-order squeezing (viz., squeezing, Hong & Mandel’s fourth-order squeezing, amplitude-squared squeezing) and sub-Poissonian photon statistics. Further, we discuss the negativity of the Wigner function of SCVS indicating the nonclassicality of the state under investigation. We find that the vacuum state contribution in SCVS exhibits different nonclassicalities under some conditions stronger where the nonclassicalities exhibited by the state without vacuum state contribution are weaker.