Fluctuations and a rigorous uncertainty relation of trigonometric operators of the phase and the number of photons of an electromagnetic field for general quantum superpositions of coherent states

Abstract

The quantum-statistical properties of states of an electromagnetic field of general superpositions of coherent states of the form of N α,β(α⌤+e iξ β⌤ are investigated. Formulas for the fluctuations (variances) of Hermitian trigonometric phase field operators Ŝ ≡ cos φ, Ĉ ≡ sin φ (the so-called “Susskind–Glogower operators”) are found. Expressions for the rigorous uncertainty relations (Cauchy inequalities) for operators of the number of photons and trigonometric phase operators, as well as for operators Ŝ and Ĉ, are found and analyzed. The states of amplitude $${N_{\alpha ,\beta }}\left( {\left| {{{\sqrt {ne} }^{i\varphi }}\rangle + {e^{i\xi }}\left| {{{\sqrt {{n_\beta }e} }^{i\varphi }}\rangle } \right.} \right.} \right)$$ , φ = φα = φβ, and phase $${N_{\alpha ,\beta }}\left( {\left| {{{\sqrt {ne} }^{i{\varphi _\alpha }}}\rangle + {e^{i\xi }}\left| {{{\sqrt {ne} }^{i{\varphi _\beta }}}\rangle } \right.} \right.} \right)$$ , n = n α = n β, superpositions of coherent states are considered separately. The types of quantum superpositions of meso- and macroscales (n α, n β » 1) are found for which the sines and/or cosines of the phase of the field can be measured accurately, since, under certain conditions, the quantum fluctuations of these quantities are close to zero. A simultaneous accurate measurement of cosφ and sinφ is possible for amplitude superpositions, while an accurate measurement of one of these trigonometric phase functions is possible in the case of certain phase superpositions. Amplitude superpositions of coherent states with a vacuum state are quantum states of the field with a “maximum” level of the quantum uncertainty both in the case of a mesoscopic scale and in the case of a macroscopic scale of the field with an average number of photons n α/β ≈ 0, n β/α » 1.