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

AIP conference proceedings

Photon-number statistics of twin beams: Self-consistent measurement, reconstruction, and properties

Jan Peřina, Ondřej Haderka, Václav Michálek

Published Jan 1, 2014• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

A method for the determination of photon-number statistics of twin beams using the joint signal-idler photocount statistics obtained by an iCCD camera is described. It also provides absolute quantum detection efficiency of the camera. Using the measured photocount statistics, quasi-distributions of integrated intensities are obtained. They attain negative values occurring in characteristic strips an a consequence of pairing of photons in twin beams.

DOI
10.1063/1.4903100

Related papers

Photon-number distributions of twin beams generated in spontaneous parametric down-conversion and measured by an intensified CCD camera

Jan Peřina, Martin Hamar, Václav Michálek +1 more

The measurement of photon-number statistics of fields composed of photon pairs, generated in spontaneous parametric down-conversion and detected by an intensified charge-coupled device (iCCD) camera, is described. Final quantum detection efficiencies, electronic noises, finite numbers of detector pixels, transverse intensity spatial profiles of the detected beams, as well as losses of single photons from a pair are taken into account in a developed general theory of photon-number detection. The measured data provided by an iCCD camera with single-photon detection sensitivity are analyzed along the developed theory. Joint signal-idler photon-number distributions are recovered using the reconstruction method based on the principle of maximum likelihood. The range of applicability of the method is discussed. The reconstructed joint signal-idler photon-number distribution is compared with that obtained by a method that uses superposition of signal and noise and minimizes photoelectron entropy. Statistics of the reconstructed fields are identified to be multimode Gaussian. Elements of the measured as well as the reconstructed joint signal-idler photon-number distributions violate classical inequalities. Sub-shot-noise correlations in the difference of the signal and idler photon numbers as well as partial suppression of odd elements in the distribution of the sum of signal and idler photon numbers are observed.

arXiv:1202.1437•Physical Review A•Feb 14, 2012•70 citations

Absolute detector calibration using twin beams

Jan Peřina, Ondřej Haderka, Václav Michálek +1 more

A method for the determination of absolute quantum detection efficiency is suggested based on the measurement of photocount statistics of twin beams. The measured histograms of joint signal-idler photocount statistics allow us to eliminate an additional noise superimposed on an ideal calibration field composed of only photon pairs. This makes the method superior above other approaches presently used. Twin beams are described using a paired variant of quantum superposition of signal and noise.

arXiv:1205.1969•Optics Letters•Jun 16, 2012•44 citations

Statistical properties of twin beams generated in spontaneous parametric downconversion

Jan Peřina, Ondřej Haderka, Martin Hamar

Measurement of photon-number statistics of fields composed of photon pairs generated in spontaneous parametric downcoversion pumped by strong ultrashort pulses is described. Final detection quantum efficiencies, noises as well as possible loss of one or both photons from a pair are taken into account. Measured data provided by an intensified single-photon CCD camera are analyzed along the developed model. The joint signal-idler photon-number distribution is obtained using the expectation maximization algorithm. Covariance of the signal and idler photon-numbers equals 80 %. Statistics of the generated photon pairs are identified to be Poissonian in our case. Distribution of the integrated intensities of the signal and idler fields shows strong correlations between the fields. Negative values of this distribution occurring in some regions clearly demonstrate a nonclassical character of the light composed of photon pairs.

arXiv:quant-ph/0310065•Oct 10, 2003•5 citations

Tripartite quantum correlations obtained by post-selection from twin beams

Pavel Pavlicek, Jan Perina, Vaclav Michalek +2 more

Spatially-resolved photon counting of a twin beam performed by an iCCD camera allows for versatile tailoring the properties of the beams formed by parts of the original twin beam. Dividing the idler beam of the twin beam into three equally-intense parts and post-selecting by detecting a given number of photocounts in the whole signal beam we arrive at the idler fields exhibiting high degrees of nonclassicality and being endowed with tripartite quantum correlations. Nonclassicality is analyzed with the help of suitable nonclassicality witnesses and their corresponding nonclassicality depths. Suitable parameters are introduced to quantify quantum correlations. These parameters are analyzed as they depend on the field intensity. The experimental photocount histograms are reconstructed by the maximum-likelihood approach and the obtained photon-number distributions are compared with a suitable model in which the original twin beam is approximated by an appropriate multi-mode Gaussian field and undergoes the corresponding beams' transformations.

quant-pharXiv:2601.14017•Jan 21, 2026•0 citations

Photocount measurements as a tool for investigation of non-classical properties of twin beams

Jan Peřina, Jan Peřina, Ondřej Haderka +6 more

Joint signal-idler photoelectron distributions of twin beams have been measured recently in two distinct regimes: either the mean number of photon pairs per one pump pulse is lower that the number of independent modes or vice versa. Exploiting a microscopic quantum theory for joint quasi-distributions in parametric down-conversion based on the model of superposition of signal and noise we characterize properties of twin beams in terms of quasidistributions using experimental data. In parallel to the microscopic model, joint signal-idler photon-number distribution is reconstructed using the method of maximum likelihood. Negative values as well as oscillating behavior in quantum region are characteristic for the joint signal-idler quasi-distributions of integrated intensities. The larger the mean number of photon pairs per mode the weaker the quantum features are. However, they survive even in the mesoscopic regime, i.e. when tens of photon pairs per mode are present on average. Also the conditional and difference photon-number distributions are shown to be sub-Poissonian and sub-shot-noise, respectively. Violation of classical inequalities for photon-number distributions is discussed.

Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE•Nov 20, 2008•1 citation

Tripartite quantum correlations obtained by post-selection from twin beams

Pavel Pavlíček, Jan Peřina, Václav Michálek +2 more

Spatially-resolved photon counting of a twin beam performed by an iCCD camera allows for versatile tailoring of the properties of the beams formed by parts of the original twin beam. Dividing the idler beam of the twin beam into three equally intense parts and post-selecting by detecting a given number of photocounts in the whole signal beam we arrive at the idler fields exhibiting high degrees of nonclassicality and being endowed with tripartite quantum correlations. Nonclassicality is analyzed with the help of suitable nonclassicality witnesses and their corresponding nonclassicality depths. Suitable parameters are introduced to quantify quantum correlations. These parameters are analyzed as they depend on the field intensity. The experimental photocount histograms are reconstructed by the maximum-likelihood approach and the obtained photon-number distributions are compared with a suitable model in which the original twin beam is approximated by an appropriate multi-mode Gaussian field and undergoes the corresponding beams’ transformations.

International Journal of Quantum Information•Nov 29, 2025•0 citations
A method for the determination of photon-number statistics of twin beams using the joint signal-idler photocount statistics obtained by an iCCD camera is described. It also provides absolute quantum detection efficiency of the camera. Using the measured photocount statistics, quasi-distributions of integrated intensities are obtained. They attain negative values occurring in characteristic strips an a consequence of pairing of photons in twin beams.
The measurement of photon-number statistics of fields composed of photon pairs, generated in spontaneous parametric down-conversion and detected by an intensified charge-coupled device (iCCD) camera, is described. Final quantum detection efficiencies, electronic noises, finite numbers of detector pixels, transverse intensity spatial profiles of the detected beams, as well as losses of single photons from a pair are taken into account in a developed general theory of photon-number detection. The measured data provided by an iCCD camera with single-photon detection sensitivity are analyzed along the developed theory. Joint signal-idler photon-number distributions are recovered using the reconstruction method based on the principle of maximum likelihood. The range of applicability of the method is discussed. The reconstructed joint signal-idler photon-number distribution is compared with that obtained by a method that uses superposition of signal and noise and minimizes photoelectron entropy. Statistics of the reconstructed fields are identified to be multimode Gaussian. Elements of the measured as well as the reconstructed joint signal-idler photon-number distributions violate classical inequalities. Sub-shot-noise correlations in the difference of the signal and idler photon numbers as well as partial suppression of odd elements in the distribution of the sum of signal and idler photon numbers are observed.
Measurement of photon-number statistics of fields composed of photon pairs generated in spontaneous parametric downcoversion pumped by strong ultrashort pulses is described. Final detection quantum efficiencies, noises as well as possible loss of one or both photons from a pair are taken into account. Measured data provided by an intensified single-photon CCD camera are analyzed along the developed model. The joint signal-idler photon-number distribution is obtained using the expectation maximization algorithm. Covariance of the signal and idler photon-numbers equals 80 %. Statistics of the generated photon pairs are identified to be Poissonian in our case. Distribution of the integrated intensities of the signal and idler fields shows strong correlations between the fields. Negative values of this distribution occurring in some regions clearly demonstrate a nonclassical character of the light composed of photon pairs.
Spatially-resolved photon counting of a twin beam performed by an iCCD camera allows for versatile tailoring the properties of the beams formed by parts of the original twin beam. Dividing the idler beam of the twin beam into three equally-intense parts and post-selecting by detecting a given number of photocounts in the whole signal beam we arrive at the idler fields exhibiting high degrees of nonclassicality and being endowed with tripartite quantum correlations. Nonclassicality is analyzed with the help of suitable nonclassicality witnesses and their corresponding nonclassicality depths. Suitable parameters are introduced to quantify quantum correlations. These parameters are analyzed as they depend on the field intensity. The experimental photocount histograms are reconstructed by the maximum-likelihood approach and the obtained photon-number distributions are compared with a suitable model in which the original twin beam is approximated by an appropriate multi-mode Gaussian field and undergoes the corresponding beams' transformations.
Joint signal-idler photoelectron distributions of twin beams have been measured recently in two distinct regimes: either the mean number of photon pairs per one pump pulse is lower that the number of independent modes or vice versa. Exploiting a microscopic quantum theory for joint quasi-distributions in parametric down-conversion based on the model of superposition of signal and noise we characterize properties of twin beams in terms of quasidistributions using experimental data. In parallel to the microscopic model, joint signal-idler photon-number distribution is reconstructed using the method of maximum likelihood. Negative values as well as oscillating behavior in quantum region are characteristic for the joint signal-idler quasi-distributions of integrated intensities. The larger the mean number of photon pairs per mode the weaker the quantum features are. However, they survive even in the mesoscopic regime, i.e. when tens of photon pairs per mode are present on average. Also the conditional and difference photon-number distributions are shown to be sub-Poissonian and sub-shot-noise, respectively. Violation of classical inequalities for photon-number distributions is discussed.
Spatially-resolved photon counting of a twin beam performed by an iCCD camera allows for versatile tailoring of the properties of the beams formed by parts of the original twin beam. Dividing the idler beam of the twin beam into three equally intense parts and post-selecting by detecting a given number of photocounts in the whole signal beam we arrive at the idler fields exhibiting high degrees of nonclassicality and being endowed with tripartite quantum correlations. Nonclassicality is analyzed with the help of suitable nonclassicality witnesses and their corresponding nonclassicality depths. Suitable parameters are introduced to quantify quantum correlations. These parameters are analyzed as they depend on the field intensity. The experimental photocount histograms are reconstructed by the maximum-likelihood approach and the obtained photon-number distributions are compared with a suitable model in which the original twin beam is approximated by an appropriate multi-mode Gaussian field and undergoes the corresponding beams’ transformations.