Direct, loss-tolerant characterization of nonclassical photon statistics
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 6, 2026

Quantum State Engineering of Light with Continuous-wave Optical Parametric Oscillators
Published on: May 30, 2014
Daryl Achilles1, Christine Silberhorn, Ian A Walmsley
1Clarendon Laboratory, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PU, United Kingdom. daryl.achilles@physis.ox.ac.uk
Abstract:
We experimentally investigate a method of directly characterizing the photon-number distribution of nonclassical light beams that is tolerant to losses and makes use of only standard binary detectors. This is achieved in a single measurement by calibrating the detector using some small amount of prior information about the source. We demonstrate the technique on a freely propagating heralded two-photon-number state created by conditional detection of a two-mode squeezed state generated by parametric down-conversion.
Related Concept Videos
Emission Spectra
Lossless Lines
Photoelectric Effect
Propagation of Uncertainty from Random Error
The Wave Nature of Light
Lossy Lines and Overvoltages
Attenuation
When constant series resistance and shunt conductance are present, voltage and current equations are modified. The propagation constant indicates that voltage and current waves consist of both forward and backward traveling components. These waves attenuate as they propagate, with the attenuation factor related to the resistance and conductance. In a...

