Probing quantum rules by the experimental implementation of single-photon creation and annihilation operators

Year: 2009

Authors: Zavatta A., Parigi V., Kim M.S., Bellini M.

Autors Affiliation: Istituto Nazionale di Ottica Applicata (INOA-CNR), Largo E. Fermi 6, 50125 Firenze, Italy; Physics Dep., University of Florence, Via G. Sansone 1, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino-Firenze, Italy; School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen\’s University, Belfast BT7 INN, United Kingdom; Euiropean Laboratory for Nonlinear Spectroscopy (LENS), University of Florence, ViaN. Carrar, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino – Firenze, Italy

Abstract: We have realized experimental schemes to implement the action of single photon creation and annihilation operators on single-mode light fields. In particular, we apply alternated sequences of creation and annihilation operators to completely classical and fully incoherent thermal light states. By verifying that the resulting states depend on the order in which the two quantum operators are applied, we provide the most direct experimental verification of the noncommutation of bosonic creation and annihilation operators.

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More Information: Sponsors: National Institute of Information and Communications Technology; Canadian Institute for Advanced Research; QuantumWorks; Tamagawa University; Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
KeyWords: Nonclassical states of light; Parametric downconversion; Quantum homodyne tomography; Single-photon addition; Single-photon subtraction