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arXiv:quant-ph/9709030

Necessary and Sufficient Classicality Conditions on Photon Number Distributions

Simon, R., Mary Selvadoray, Arvind, Narasimhaiengar Mukunda

Published Sep 13, 1997• 10 citations
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Abstract

We exploit results on the classical Stieltjes moment problem to obtain completely explicit necessary and sufficient conditions for the photon number distribution p(n) of a radiation field mode to be classical. These conditions are given in two forms - respectively local and global in the individual photon number probabilities. Central to the first approach is the recognition of the important fact that the quantities n!p(n) are moments of a quasiprobability distribution, notwithstanding the fact that p(n)'s can by themselves be considered as a probability distribution over the nonnegative integers. This leads to local classicality conditions involving p(n)'s for only a small number of values of n. This local approach enables us to present detailed quantitative statements on the connection between nonclassicality and oscillations in the photon number distribution. The second approach is in terms of the traditional factorial moments of p(n). Equivalence of the two approaches is established.

DOI
10.48550/arxiv.quant-ph/9709030

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We exploit results on the classical Stieltjes moment problem to obtain completely explicit necessary and sufficient conditions for the photon number distribution p(n) of a radiation field mode to be classical. These conditions are given in two forms - respectively local and global in the individual photon number probabilities. Central to the first approach is the recognition of the important fact that the quantities n!p(n) are moments of a quasiprobability distribution, notwithstanding the fact that p(n)'s can by themselves be considered as a probability distribution over the nonnegative integers. This leads to local classicality conditions involving p(n)'s for only a small number of values of n. This local approach enables us to present detailed quantitative statements on the connection between nonclassicality and oscillations in the photon number distribution. The second approach is in terms of the traditional factorial moments of p(n). Equivalence of the two approaches is established.
We exploit results from the classical Stieltjes moment problem to bring out the totality of all the information regarding phase insensitive nonclassicality of a state as captured by the photon number distribution p_n. Central to our approach is the realization that n !p_n constitutes the sequence of moments of a (quasi) probability distribution, notwithstanding the fact that p_n can by itself be regarded as a probability distribution. This leads to classicality restrictions on p_n that are local in n involving p_n's for only a small number of consecutive n's, enabling a critical examination of the conjecture that oscillation in p_n is a signature of nonclassicality.
Nonclassicality in the sense of quantum optics is a prerequisite for entanglement in multimode radiation states. In this work we bring out the possibilities of passing from the former to the latter, via action of classicality preserving systems like beam splitters, in a transparent manner. For single-mode states, a complete description of nonclassicality is available via the classical theory of moments, as a set of necessary and sufficient conditions on the photon number distribution. We show that when the mode is coupled to an ancilla in any coherent state, and the system is then acted upon by a beam splitter, these conditions turn exactly into signatures of negativity under partial transpose (NPT) entanglement of the output state. Since the classical moment problem does not generalize to two or more modes, we turn in these cases to other familiar sufficient but not necessary conditions for nonclassicality, namely the Mandel parameter criterion and its extensions. We generalize the Mandel matrix from one-mode states to the two-mode situation, leading to a natural classification of states with varying levels of nonclassicality. For two-mode states we present a single test that can, if successful, simultaneously show nonclassicality as well as NPT entanglement. We also develop a test for NPT entanglement after beam-splitter action on a nonclassical state, tracing carefully the way in which it goes beyond the Mandel nonclassicality test. The result of three-mode beam-splitter action after coupling to an ancilla in the ground state is treated in the same spirit. The concept of genuine tripartite entanglement, and scalar measures of nonclassicality at the Mandel level for two-mode systems, are discussed. Numerous examples illustrating all these concepts are presented.
A new operator-based condition for distinguishing classical from nonclassical states of quantized radiation is developed. It exploits the fact that the normal ordering rule of correspondence to go from classical to quantum-dynamical variables does not in general maintain positivity. It is shown that the approach naturally leads to distinguishing several layers of increasing nonclassicality, with more layers as the number of modes increases. A generalization of the notion of sub-Poissonian statistics for two-mode radiation fields is achieved by analysing completely all correlations and fluctuations in quadratic combinations of mode annihilation and creation operators conserving the total photon number. This generalization is nontrivial and intrinsically two-mode as it goes beyond all possible single mode projections of the two-mode field. The nonclassicality of pair-coherent states, squeezed vacuum and squeezed thermal states is analysed and contrasted to one another, comparing the generalized sub-Poissonian statistics with extant signatures of nonclassical behaviour.
Numerous nonclassicality criteria based on the probabilities of experimental photocount or theoretical photon-number distributions are derived using several approaches. Relations among the derived criteria are revealed and the fundamental criteria are identified. They are grouped into parametric systems that allow the analysis of the nonclassicality from different points of view (``local'' nonclassicality, pairwise character of photon correlations, etc.). Considering their structure, the criteria may be divided into groups that differ in the power to resolve the nonclassicality. Quantification of the nonclassicality using the Lee nonclassicality depth and the nonclassicality counting parameter is discussed. The number of field modes used is identified as an important parameter that may cause unexpected results. An appropriate linear transformation of a photocount (photon-number) distribution into its sss-ordered form, needed for the determination of the nonclassicality depth, is derived. For comparison, the derived criteria are applied both to an experimental photocount histogram of a twin beam and the reconstructed photon-number distributions with different levels of the noise.
Abstract In quantum optics, nonclassicality of quantum states is commonly associated with negativities of phase-space quasiprobability distributions. We argue that the impossibility of any classical simulations with phase-space functions is a necessary and sufficient condition of nonclassicality. The problem of such phase-space classical simulations for particular measurement schemes is analysed in the framework of Einstein–Podolsky–Rosen–Bell’s principles of physical reality. The dual form of this problem results in an analogue of Bell inequalities. Their violations imply the impossibility of phase-space classical simulations and, as a consequence, nonclassicality of quantum states. We apply this technique to emblematic optical measurements such as photocounting, including the cases of realistic photon-number resolution and homodyne detection in unbalanced, balanced, and eight-port configurations.
Nonclassicality criteria for general NNN-dimensional optical fields are derived. They involve intensity moments, the probabilities of photon-number distributions, or combinations of both. The Hillery criteria for the sums of the probabilities of even or odd photon numbers are generalized to NNN-dimensional fields. As an example, the derived nonclassicality criteria are applied to an experimental three-mode optical field containing two types of photon-pair contributions. The accompanying nonclassicality depths are used to mutually compare their performance.