Micromasers: a quantum jump approach

We have developed a quantum jump approach for the one photon micromaser wit h a Poissonian atomic pumping beam. In our approach we can describe the dyn amics of the system, completely unravelling the master equation in terms of stochastic wavefunctions. We have applied the approach to the most general case in which the atoms enter the cavity in an arbitrary coherent superpos ition of the atomic states with different initial conditions for the cavity field. Hence, we are able to study the system dynamics when the atoms ente r the cavity in the excited state and interacting initially with the field in a pure state as well as when the atoms enter the cavity in a coherent su perposition with the field initially in a statistical mixture leading to th e production of a cotangent state.