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

Realization of number-phase minimum-uncertainty states and number states by quantum nondemolition measurement

Masahiro Kitagawa, N. Imoto, Y. Yamamoto

Published Jun 1, 1987• 48 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Number-phase minimum uncertainty states and number states are shown to be realized by quantum nondemolition measurements of the photon number. Interphase modulation in a Kerr medium establishes a quantum-mechanical correlation between the signal and probe waves initially in coherent states. State reduction is realized by homodyne detection of a probe quadrature-phase amplitude. The number uncertainty can be arbitrarily reduced by increasing the probe intensity. The minimum uncertainty relation between the number and sine operators approximately holds until a near-number state is realized.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.35.5270

Related papers

Generation of number-phase minimum-uncertainty states and number states

Y. Yamamoto, S. Machida, N. Imoto +2 more

The difference between the two nonclassical photon states, i.e., the squeezed state and the number-phase minimum-uncertainty state, is discussed. Four different generation principles for number-phase minimum-uncertainty states (and number states) are described. They are the following: (1) unitary evolution, using self-phase modulation and interference; (2) nonunitary state reduction, using either quantum nondemolition photon-number measurement or parametrically amplified idler-wave photon counting; (3) negative-feedback oscillators, incorporating a correlated photon-pair generator; and (4) pump-amplitude noise-suppressed lasers. A number-phase minimum-uncertainty state with photon-number noise reduced to 1 dB (20%) below the standard quantum limit in a frequency range over 100 MHz was produced by the fourth-generation principle.

Journal of the Optical Society of America B•Oct 1, 1987•70 citations

Number-phase minimum-uncertainty state with reduced number uncertainty in a Kerr nonlinear interferometer

Masahiro Kitagawa, Y. Yamamoto

The output state of a nonlinear Mach-Zehnder interferometer is shown to be an effective number-phase minimum-uncertainty state with reduced photon-number uncertainty. This interferometer includes an optical Kerr medium in one arm with a coherent-state input. Unusual ``crescent''-shaped squeezing which preserves photon number is revealed in the unitary evolution associated with a self-phase-modulation in the Kerr medium. Photon-number uncertainty 〈\ensuremath{\Delta}n${^}^{2}$〉 can be reduced by interference with a coherent-state reference wave. It can be minimized to 〈n^${〉}^{1/3}$, far below the limit 〈n^${〉}^{2/3}$ achieved by an ordinary squeezed state. The increased phase uncertainty due to self-phase-modulation and the reduced photon-number uncertainty still preserve the minimum-uncertainty product 〈\ensuremath{\Delta}n${^}^{2}$〉〈\ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\Phi}${^}^{2}$〉\ensuremath{\sim}(1/4). .AE

Physical Review A•Nov 1, 1986•404 citations

Quantum nondemolition measurement of the photon number via the optical Kerr effect

N. Imoto, H. A. Haus, Y. Yamamoto

This paper proposes a quantum nondemolition measurement scheme for the photon number. The signal and probe optical waves interact via the optical Kerr effect. The optical phase of the probe wave is selected as the readout observable for the measurement of the photon number of the signal wave. The measurement accuracy \ensuremath{\Delta}n and the imposed phase noise \ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\varphi} of the signal wave satisfy Heisenberg's uncertainty principle with an equality sign, 〈(\ensuremath{\Delta}n${)}^{2}$〉〈(\ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\varphi}${)}^{2}$〉=(1/4). .AE

Physical Review A•Oct 1, 1985•605 citations

Quantum States and Number-Phase Uncertainty Relations Measured by Optical Homodyne Tomography

Michael G. Raymer, D. T. Smithey, M. Beck +1 more

Experiments have been performed to determine the Wigner distribution and the density matrix (and for pure states the wave function) of a light mode, by using tomographic inversion of a set of measured probability distributions for quadrature amplitudes.From these measurements the quantum distributions of optical phase and photon number have been obtained.The measurements of quadrature-amplitude distributions for a temporal mode of the electromagnetic field are carried out using balanced homodyne detection.We refer to this new method as optical homodyne tomography.Given the measured density matrix, one can experimentally infer any of the various quantum distributions of optical phase, in particular the Pegg-Barnett (or, equivalently, Shapiro-Shepard) phase distribution, the marginal Wigner distribution, and the Vogel-Schleich operational phase distribntion.We have used this approach to make measurements of the number-plase uncertainty relation for coherent-state fields.The coherent states do not attain the minimum value for the number-phase uncertainty product, as set by the expectation value of the commutator of the number and phase operators; this is true theoretically and experimentally.

Acta Physica Polonica A•Jul 1, 1994•15 citations

Qubit degradation due to cross-phase-modulation photon-number measurement

Jeffrey H. Shapiro, Roy S. Bondurant

Kerr effect cross-phase-modulation between signal and probe beams has been proposed and demonstrated as a means for quantum nondemolition (QND) measurement of the signal beam's photon number by homodyne detection of the probe beam. Recently, such QND measurements have been suggested as providing a new route to photonic quantum computation. For a signal-beam qubit, whose computational basis is the vacuum and one-photon states, the QND detector's error probability is shown to be determined by the qubit fidelity after the cross-phase-modulation interaction, with the former increasing from 0 to $\frac{1}{2}$ as the latter increases from $\frac{2}{3}$ to 1. This relationship is shown to hold regardless of the probe beam's input state. It also applies, without modification, when the cross-phase-modulation interaction is replaced with a more general unitary transformation.

Physical Review A•Feb 1, 2006•13 citations

Measurement of number-phase uncertainty relations of optical fields

D. T. Smithey, M. Beck, J. Cooper +1 more

We have experimentally determined all of the quantities involved in the uncertainty relation for the phase and photon number of a mode of the electromagnetic field when the field mode is in a coherent state of small average photon number. This is accomplished by determining the quantum state of the field using optical homodyne tomography, which uses measured distributions of electric-field quadrature amplitude to determine the Wigner function and hence the density matrix. The measured state is then used to calculate the uncertainty product for the number and phase, as well as the expectation value of the commutator of the number and phase operators. The experimental results agree with the quantum-mechanical predictions. We also present measured phase- and photon-number distributions for these weak coherent states, as well as their measured complex wave functions.

Physical Review A•Oct 1, 1993•190 citations
Number-phase minimum uncertainty states and number states are shown to be realized by quantum nondemolition measurements of the photon number. Interphase modulation in a Kerr medium establishes a quantum-mechanical correlation between the signal and probe waves initially in coherent states. State reduction is realized by homodyne detection of a probe quadrature-phase amplitude. The number uncertainty can be arbitrarily reduced by increasing the probe intensity. The minimum uncertainty relation between the number and sine operators approximately holds until a near-number state is realized.
The difference between the two nonclassical photon states, i.e., the squeezed state and the number-phase minimum-uncertainty state, is discussed. Four different generation principles for number-phase minimum-uncertainty states (and number states) are described. They are the following: (1) unitary evolution, using self-phase modulation and interference; (2) nonunitary state reduction, using either quantum nondemolition photon-number measurement or parametrically amplified idler-wave photon counting; (3) negative-feedback oscillators, incorporating a correlated photon-pair generator; and (4) pump-amplitude noise-suppressed lasers. A number-phase minimum-uncertainty state with photon-number noise reduced to 1 dB (20%) below the standard quantum limit in a frequency range over 100 MHz was produced by the fourth-generation principle.
The output state of a nonlinear Mach-Zehnder interferometer is shown to be an effective number-phase minimum-uncertainty state with reduced photon-number uncertainty. This interferometer includes an optical Kerr medium in one arm with a coherent-state input. Unusual ``crescent''-shaped squeezing which preserves photon number is revealed in the unitary evolution associated with a self-phase-modulation in the Kerr medium. Photon-number uncertainty 〈\ensuremath{\Delta}n${^}^{2}$〉 can be reduced by interference with a coherent-state reference wave. It can be minimized to 〈n^〉1/3{〉}^{1/3}〉1/3, far below the limit 〈n^〉2/3{〉}^{2/3}〉2/3 achieved by an ordinary squeezed state. The increased phase uncertainty due to self-phase-modulation and the reduced photon-number uncertainty still preserve the minimum-uncertainty product 〈\ensuremath{\Delta}n${^}^{2}$〉〈\ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\Phi}${^}^{2}$〉\ensuremath{\sim}(1/4). .AE
This paper proposes a quantum nondemolition measurement scheme for the photon number. The signal and probe optical waves interact via the optical Kerr effect. The optical phase of the probe wave is selected as the readout observable for the measurement of the photon number of the signal wave. The measurement accuracy \ensuremath{\Delta}n and the imposed phase noise \ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\varphi} of the signal wave satisfy Heisenberg's uncertainty principle with an equality sign, 〈(\ensuremath{\Delta}n)2{)}^{2})2〉〈(\ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\varphi})2{)}^{2})2〉=(1/4). .AE
Experiments have been performed to determine the Wigner distribution and the density matrix (and for pure states the wave function) of a light mode, by using tomographic inversion of a set of measured probability distributions for quadrature amplitudes.From these measurements the quantum distributions of optical phase and photon number have been obtained.The measurements of quadrature-amplitude distributions for a temporal mode of the electromagnetic field are carried out using balanced homodyne detection.We refer to this new method as optical homodyne tomography.Given the measured density matrix, one can experimentally infer any of the various quantum distributions of optical phase, in particular the Pegg-Barnett (or, equivalently, Shapiro-Shepard) phase distribution, the marginal Wigner distribution, and the Vogel-Schleich operational phase distribntion.We have used this approach to make measurements of the number-plase uncertainty relation for coherent-state fields.The coherent states do not attain the minimum value for the number-phase uncertainty product, as set by the expectation value of the commutator of the number and phase operators; this is true theoretically and experimentally.
Kerr effect cross-phase-modulation between signal and probe beams has been proposed and demonstrated as a means for quantum nondemolition (QND) measurement of the signal beam's photon number by homodyne detection of the probe beam. Recently, such QND measurements have been suggested as providing a new route to photonic quantum computation. For a signal-beam qubit, whose computational basis is the vacuum and one-photon states, the QND detector's error probability is shown to be determined by the qubit fidelity after the cross-phase-modulation interaction, with the former increasing from 0 to 12\frac{1}{2}21​ as the latter increases from 23\frac{2}{3}32​ to 1. This relationship is shown to hold regardless of the probe beam's input state. It also applies, without modification, when the cross-phase-modulation interaction is replaced with a more general unitary transformation.
We have experimentally determined all of the quantities involved in the uncertainty relation for the phase and photon number of a mode of the electromagnetic field when the field mode is in a coherent state of small average photon number. This is accomplished by determining the quantum state of the field using optical homodyne tomography, which uses measured distributions of electric-field quadrature amplitude to determine the Wigner function and hence the density matrix. The measured state is then used to calculate the uncertainty product for the number and phase, as well as the expectation value of the commutator of the number and phase operators. The experimental results agree with the quantum-mechanical predictions. We also present measured phase- and photon-number distributions for these weak coherent states, as well as their measured complex wave functions.