Quantum phase properties of nonlinear optical phenomena

Abstract

We review some quantum-phase descriptions of optical fields. We focus on real fields that can be generated in practice in various nonlinear optical processes. Thus, we rather avoid discussions of phase formalisms as such and try to exploit their practical applicability in the description of optical fields. In the description of the phase properties we use two different, though related formalisms: the Pegg-Barnett Hermitian phase formalism and the formalism based on $s$-parametrized phase distributions.