Nonclassicality quasiprobability of single-photon-added thermal states

Abstract

We report the experimental reconstruction of a nonclassicality quasiprobability for a single-photon-added thermal state. This quantity has significant negativities, which is necessary and sufficient for the nonclassicality of the quantum state. Our method exhibits several advantages compared to the reconstruction of the P function, since the nonclassicality filters used in this case can regularize the quasiprobabilities as well as their statistical uncertainties. A priori assumptions about the quantum state are therefore not necessary. We also demonstrate that, in principle, our method is not limited by small quantum efficiencies.

Optical tomography of photon-added coherent states, even and odd coherent states, and thermal states

“…This criteria was suggested in [23] to control precision of the homodyne experiments. In the mentioned experimental works [7], [8], [9], [10], [11], including the homodyne two-mode studies [20] the checking correspondence to the above criteria has not been done. It is especially important, taking into account that the local oscillator phase contribution can influence the final results if the states under the study differ from the states (thermal or photon-added thermal) with optical tomograms not depending on the local oscillator phase.…”

“…In [11] Experimental preparation of single photon added thermal states and reconstruction of the Glauber-Sudarshan quasiprobability (P -function) for these states have been done.…”

Classical light sources with tunable temporal coherence and tailored photon number distributions

“…Several interesting applications now become possible. For example, it is known that non-classical states can be generated by combining classical light, both coherent and thermal, with single photons (Fock state) in photon addition experiments [14]- [16] , [22]- [28]. The ability to tailor classical states of light to have Gaussian or non-Gaussian photon number distributions as demonstrated in this paper, widens the field of generation of non-classical states of light by making many novel forms possible.…”

“…[11,12], and have also formed an ingredient in the creation of non-classical states of light [14][15][16].…”

Quantum state engineering by click counting

“…Recent developments led to a further enhancement of this kind of single-photon source [3][4][5][6][7][8][9]. Other protocols to manipulate quantum states in theory and experiment in the single photon regime are known as photon addition and photon subtraction [31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39]. These engineering protocols can be also used to add or subtract several photons [40,41] or to probe experimentally fundamental commutation relations [42].…”