QUANTUM IMAGES

We illustrate the spatial quantum features that emerge in a degenerate optical parametric oscillator below threshold, where the signal field is purely generated by quantum fluctuations. We analyze the behaviour of the spatial correlation function of a generic quadrature component of the signal field in both cases of a cavity with plane mirrors and a cavity with spherical mirrors. The correlation length diverges when the semiclassical threshold for signal field generation is approached. We focus on the novel concept of quantum image, which is analyzed bot h in the near field and in the far field.