Quantum spatial correlations in high-gain parametric down-conversion measured by means of a CCD camera

Authors: Jedrkiewicz, O.¹; Brambilla, E.¹; Bache, M.¹; Gatti, A.¹; Lugiato, L. A.¹; Trapani, P. Di¹

Source: Journal of Modern Optics, Volume 53, Numbers 5-6, March-April 2006 , pp. 575-595(21)

Publisher: Taylor and Francis Ltd

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Abstract:

We consider travelling-wave parametric down-conversion in the high-gain regime and present the experimental demonstration of the quantum character of the spatial fluctuations in the system. In addition to showing the presence of sub-shot noise fluctuations in the intensity difference, we demonstrate that the peak value of the normalized spatial correlations between signal and idler lies well above the line marking the boundary between the classical and the quantum domain. This effect is equivalent to the apparent violation of the Cauchy–Schwartz inequality, predicted by some of us years ago, which represents a spatial analogue of photon antibunching in time. Finally, we analyse numerically the transition from the quantum to the classical regime when the gain is increased and we emphasize the role of the inaccuracy in the determination of the symmetry centre of the signal–idler pattern in the far-field plane.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1080/09500340500217670

Affiliations: 1: INFM and Dipartimento di Fisica e Matematica, Università dell'Insubria, Via Valleggio 11, 22100 Como, Italy

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