Apparatus and method for performing sub-poissonian interference measurements using an intensity-squeezed state

摘要

The invention demonstrates an apparatus and a method for performing sub-Poissonian interference measurements using an interferometer with a beam splitting element, a first photon input A, a second photon input B, a first photon output C, and a second photon output D. The apparatus has an optical path length adjustment for introducing an optical path length difference &thgr; such that the interferometer operates as a phase- dependent beam-splitter. In this mode photons delivered to the first photon input A exit through the first photon output C and photons delivered to the second photon input B exit through the second photon output D. The apparatus also has a radiation generating device for producing photons in an intensity-squeezed state in which the amplitude a. sub.o.sup.2 of the photons ms substantially certain and the phase &phgr; of the photons is substantially uncertain, and for delivering the photons to photon inputs A, B. The radiation generating device has an electrical current source, a resistive element connected in series with the electrical current source, and a photo- emitter element connected in series with the resistive element. The photo- emitter generates n of photons in the squeezed-intensity state during time period &tgr;.sub.p.