Skip to content

Measuring the elements of the optical density matrix

K. L. Pregnell, D. T. Pegg

quant-pharXiv:quant-ph/0209132

Abstract

Most methods for experimentally reconstructing the quantum state of light involve determining a quasiprobability distribution such as the Wigner function. In this paper we present a scheme for measuring individual density matrix elements in the photon number state representation. Remarkably, the scheme is simple, involving two beam splitters and a reference field in a coherent state.

Create a lesson