Experimental Study on Coherence Time of a Light Field with Single Photon Counting

The second-order degree of coherence of pseudo-thermal light and coherence time are experimentally studied via the Hanbruy-Brown-Twiss （HBT） scheme. The system consists of two non-photon-number-resolving single- photon-counting modules （SPCMs） operating in the Geiger mode. We investigate the coherence time of the incident beam for different spot sizes on a ground glass a~d speeds of a rotating ground glass. The corresponding coherence time can be obtained from Gaussian fitting for the measured second-order degree of coherence. The results show that the coherence time of measured pseudo-thermal light depends on the spot sizes and the rotating speeds of the ground glass. The maximum value of the second-order degree of coherence is reduced as the rotating speed decreases. This result can be well explained by the model of mixed thermal and coherent fields with different ratios.     

A degenerate three-level laser with a parametric amplifier

The aim of this paper is to study the squeezing and statistical properties of the light produced by a degenerate three-level laser whose cavity contains a degenerate parametric amplifier. In this quantum optical system the top and bottom levels of the three-level atoms injected into the laser cavity are coupled by the pump mode emerging from the parametric amplifier. For a linear gain coefficient of 100 and for a cavity damping constant of 0.8, the maximum intracavity squeezing is found at steady state and at threshold to be 93%.     

Polarization Properties of Quantum-Dot-Based Single Photon Sources

Polarization properties of single photons emitted by optical pumping from a single quantum dot （ QD） are studied by using a four-level system model. The model is capable of explaining the polarization uncertainty observed in single photon emission experiments. It is found that the dependence of photon emission efficiency and polarization visibility on pump power are opposite in general cases. By employing QDs with small size and strong carrier confinement, the photon polarization visibility under high pump power can be improved. In addition, embedding a QD into a well designed microcavity is also found to be favourable, whereas the trade-off between high polarization visibility and multi-photon emission is noted.     

Interaction of a two-level atom with squeezed light

We consider a degenerate parametric oscillator whose cavity contains a two-level atom. Applying the Heisenberg and quantum Langevin equations, we calculate in the bad-cavity limit the mean photon number, the quadrature variance, and the power spectrum for the cavity mode in general and for the signal light and fluorescent light in particular. We also obtain the normalized second-order correlation function for the fluorescent light. We find that the presence of the two-level atom leads to a decrease in the degree of squeezing of the signal light. It so turns out that the fluorescent light is in a squeezed state and the power spectrum consists of a single peak only.     

Degenerate three-level cascade laser with the cavity mode driven by coherent light

We present the quantum statistical properties of the light produced by a degenerate three-level cascade laser with the cavity mode driven by coherent light. In this system three-level atoms in a cascade configuration, initially prepared in a coherent superposition of the top and bottom levels, are injected into a cavity coupled a vacuum reservoir. We find that although the driving coherent light has no effect on the degree of squeezing, it increases the mean photon number considerably. Therefore, this quantum optical system can be taken as a source of a bright squeezed light.     

Experimental Study on Practical Quantum Key Distribution Scheme with Time-Multiplexed Technique

We present a scheme that is capable of detecting photon numbers during the quantum key distribution (QKD) based on an improved differential phase shift (DPS) system without Trojan horse attack. A time-multiplexed detector (TMD) is set in for the photon-number resolution. Two fibre loops are used for detecting photon numbers as well as distributing keys. The long-term stabilization is guaranteed by two Faraday mirrors (FM) at Bob's site to automatically compensate for polarization defect. Our experimental study (90km QKD is completed) indicates that such a system is stable and secure which nearly reaches the performance of a single photon scheme.     

Photon statistics of a bad-cavity laser near threshold

A simple model of a bad-cavity laser is presented based on Haken's master equation for N pumped two-level atoms in a cavity. Via adiabatic elimination of fast variables the whole photon statistics is solved analytically near threshold. It is shown that the second order coherence function g ⁽²⁾ (0) has a very different behavior near threshold for a bad-cavity laser compared to a good-cavity laser. The power spectrum illustrates nicely the different time scales involved in the dynamics. Received: 13 November 1998 / Revised: 19 May 1998 / Accepted: 6 July 1998     

Improving Visibility of Diffraction Pattern with Pseudo-Thermal Light

We report an experimental observation of Poisson＇s spot with pseudo-thermal light. The experimental results show that the diffraction pattern disappears in the intensity distribution behind the opaque disc but emerges through both auto-correlation and cross-correlation intensity measurements. The auto-correlation scheme can take care of both better visibility and higher resolution of the diffraction pattern under the condition that the thermal light source has a larger spectral bandwidth.     

Experimental Investigation of Quality of Lensless Ghost Imaging with Pseudo-Thermal Light

Factors influencing the quality of lensless ghost imaging are investigated. According to the experimental results, we find that the imaging quality is determined by the number of independent sub light sources on the imaging plane of the reference arm. A qualitative picture based on advanced wave optics is presented to explain the physics behind the experimental phenomena. The present results will be helpful to provide a basis for improving the quality of ghost imaging systems in future works.     

Quantum interference of multimode two-photon pairs with a Michelson interferometer

We perform the second-order quantum interference experiment with the multimode photon pairs produced via an optical parametric oscillator far below threshold in a Michelson interferometer, measure the second-order correlation function in different cases. We find when the interferometer is highly unbalanced, the shape of the second-order correlation function is clearly dependent on the path length difference between two interfering beams. On the contrary, when the interferometer is nearly balanced, beside its height, the shape of the second-order correlation function is independent on the small path length difference. The second-order correlation function shows a multipeaked structure in both cases. All experimental results agree very well with the theoretical predictions.     

Generation of pair coherent state using weak cross-Kerr media

We firstly give a nonlocal method for generating pair coherent state with two traveling wave fields in distinct districts. The experimental scheme proposed is based on a two-mode photon number matching process, which employs weak cross-Kerr media and on/off detection. Then we discuss the details for implementing this scheme, showing that it is robust against the low quantum efficiency of photon detectors and offers nearly perfect pair coherent states. Finally, we show how a two-mode Schrödinger cat state and a generalized two-mode correlated photon number state can be prepared via this matching process.     

Interference from nonlocal double-slit with pseudo-thermal light

We perform an interference experiment in which a pseudo-thermal light beam illuminates two spatially separated apertures, whose superposition at the same place forms a double-slit. The experimental result exhibits a typical double-slit interference fringe in the intensity correlation measurement, in agreement with the theoretical analysis by means of the property of the second-order spatial correlation of field of the thermal light.     

Analysis on generation schemes of Schrödinger cat-like states under experimental imperfections

An analysis and a comparison of two generation schemes of Schrödinger cat-like state including experimental imperfections are presented. Under practical conditions, a scheme using a squeezed vacuum and a photon subtraction will generate a cat-like state with its fidelity to the Schrödinger cat state F = 0.815 and value of its Wigner function at the origin of the phase space W(0,0) = −0.203, and then turned out to be more feasible than the scheme using squeezed single-photon state. The non-classicality of these cat-like states is governed only by non-classical photon number statistics. The criteria for ensuring W(0,0) < 0 are also presented in terms of imperfection parameter diagrams.     

Controllable Kerr Nonlinearity with Perfect Transparency in the Existence of Spontaneously Generated Coherence

We investigate the Kerr nonlinearity of a V-type three-level atomic system where the upper two states decay outside to another state and hence spontaneous generated coherence may exist. It is shown that dark state and hence perfect transparency present under certain conditions. Meanwhile, the Kerr nonlinearity can be controlled by manipulation of the decay rates and the splitting of the two excited states. Therefore, enhanced Kerr nonlinearity without absorption can be obtained under proper parameters.     

Noise analysis in correlated imaging, quantum and classical

The theoretical analysis of the noise property is presented in a correlated imaging system. For both entangled source produced by parametric down-conversion (PDC) and classically light source, a small aperture of the imaging system makes the noise increase slightly and the resolution of the imaging signal degrade. We also show that, in PDC case, the noise is strongly influenced by the source size because of the existence of the entanglement, while the effect is not obvious in the thermal case.     

Enhanced squeezing and entanglement in a non-degenerate three-level cascade laser with injected squeezed light

We consider a non-degenerate three-level cascade laser coupled to a two-mode squeezed vacuum reservoir via the lossy single-port mirror. Applying the pertinent master equation, we analyze the effects of the injected squeezed light on the quadrature squeezing, entanglement and normalized intensity difference fluctuations. We show that the injected squeezed light considerably enhances the degree of squeezing and entanglement in the two-mode light for certain initial conditions. Moreover, the injected squeezed light increases the mean photon number where the squeezing and entanglement is significant. We also show that the presence of the injected squeezed light greatly reduces the noise in the intensity difference.     

Ghost imaging and ghost interference with pseudo-thermal light: Mode-separation by pure software processing

We report on a new experiment in which ghost imaging and ghost interference with quasi-thermal light are simultaneously obtained from the same set of experimental reference patterns. By sliding the mask along the object arm in a continuous way, one can see imaging and diffraction patterns to come to light and fade out in opposite directions.     

Reduction of quantum phase fluctuations in intermediate states

Recently we have shown that the reduction of the Carruthers-Nieto symmetric quantum phase fluctuation parameter (U) with respect to its coherent state value corresponds to an antibunched state, but the converse is not true. Consequently reduction of U is a stronger criterion of nonclassicality than the lowest order antibunching. Here we have studied the possibilities of reduction of U in intermediate states by using the Barnett-Pegg formalism. We have shown that the reduction of phase fluctuation parameter U can be seen in different intermediate states, such as binomial state, generalized binomial state, hypergeometric state, negative binomial state, and photon added coherent state. It is also shown that the depth of nonclassicality can be controlled by various parameters related to intermediate states. Further, we have provided specific examples of antibunched states, for which U is greater than its Poissonian state value.     

Loss of nonclassical properties of quantum states in linear phase-insensitive processes with arbitrary time-dependent parameters

Conditions of disappearance of different “nonclassical” properties (usual and high-order squeezing, sub-Poissonian statistics, negativity of s-parametrized quasidistributions) are derived for a quantum oscillator, whose evolution is governed by the standard master equation of quantum optics with arbitrary time-dependent coefficients.