Abstract
Standard quantum state reconstruction techniques indicate that a detection efficiency of $0.5$ is an absolute threshold below which quantum interferences cannot be measured. However, alternative statistical techniques suggest that this threshold can be overcome at the price of increasing the statistics used for the reconstruction. In the following we present numerical experiments proving that quantum interferences can be measured even with a detection efficiency smaller than $0.5$. At the same time we provide a guideline for handling the tomographic reconstruction of quantum states based on homodyne data collected by low efficiency detectors.
Highlights
The rapid development of experimental and theoretical techniques in quantum optics has made it simpler to prepare and manipulate quantum states of light [ ]
The first consists in the experimental procedure known as balanced homodyne detection, while the second concerns the tomographic reconstruction, where statistical algorithms are used for retrieving the optical quantum state from the measured homodyne data
Our results show that the Schrödinger cat interference pattern can be unambiguously reconstructed even in low homodyne detection efficiency conditions, demonstrating the concrete feasibility of the adopted tomographic approach for η
Summary
The rapid development of experimental and theoretical techniques in quantum optics has made it simpler to prepare and manipulate quantum states of light [ ]. The first consists in the experimental procedure known as balanced homodyne detection, while the second concerns the tomographic reconstruction, where statistical algorithms are used for retrieving the optical quantum state from the measured homodyne data. In the experimental phase, balanced homodyne detection, a single mode photon state, the signal, is mixed with a coherent reference state, the so-called local oscillator, by a / beam splitter. It can be proved that, when the local oscillator is significantly more intense than the signal, Esposito et al EPJ Quantum Technology (2016) 3:7 the homodyne photocurrent is proportional to the signal quadrature [ ].
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