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Physical Review Letters

Quantum nondemolition measurements of photon number by atomic beam deflection

Murray Holland, Daniel F. Walls, P. Zoller

Published Sep 23, 1991• 202 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We present a new quantum nondemolition measurement scheme in which a measure of the photon statistics of a cavity field can be achieved by monitoring the deflection of atoms interacting with the field. Repeated measurements result in the collapse of the photon distribution in the field to a number state. Quantum jumps in the photon number are observed when the cavity field is coupled to an external reservoir.

DOI
10.1103/physrevlett.67.1716

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We present a new quantum nondemolition measurement scheme in which a measure of the photon statistics of a cavity field can be achieved by monitoring the deflection of atoms interacting with the field. Repeated measurements result in the collapse of the photon distribution in the field to a number state. Quantum jumps in the photon number are observed when the cavity field is coupled to an external reservoir.
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