Direct measurement of the Wigner function by photon counting

Authors
Banaszek, K Radzewicz, C Wodkiewicz, K Krasinski, JS
Citation
K. Banaszek et al., Direct measurement of the Wigner function by photon counting, PHYS REV A, 60(1), 1999, pp. 674-677
Citations number
14
Categorie Soggetti
Physics
Journal title
PHYSICAL REVIEW A
ISSN journal
10502947 → ACNP
Volume
60
Issue
1
Year of publication
1999
Pages
674 - 677
Database
ISI
SICI code
1050-2947(199907)60:1<674:DMOTWF>2.0.ZU;2-U
Abstract
We report a direct measurement of the Wigner function characterizing the qu antum state of a light mode. The experimental scheme is based on the repres entation of the Wigner function as an expectation value of a displaced phot on number parity operator. This allowed us to scan the phase space point-by -point, and obtain the complete Wigner function without using any numerical reconstruction algorithms.