How to check the one-count operator experimentally

Abstract

We propose an experimental scheme to probe the form of one-count operation used in the theory of continuous photodetection in cavities. Two main steps are: 1) an absorption of a single photon by an atom passing through a high-Q cavity containing electromagnetic field in a thermal or coherent state, 2) a subsequent measurement of the photon statistics in the new field state arising after the photon absorption. Then comparing the probabilities of finding 0 and 1 photons in the initial and final states of the field, one can make conclusions on the form of the one-count operation. This method can be readily applied in the microwave cavity QED with present technology.