We present a scheme to conditionally generate an arbitrary superposition of a pair of coherent states from a squeezed vacuum by means of the modified photon subtraction where a coherent state ancilla and two on/off type detectors are used. We show that, even including realistic imperfections of the detectors, our scheme can generate a target state with a high fidelity. The amplitude of the generated states can be amplified by conditional homodyne detections.
We study the generation of superpositions of N00N states by overlapping few-photon-subtracted squeezed vacuum states and coherent states on a 50/50 beam splitter. Assuming parameters that are feasible with current technology results in output states with mean photon numbers of several tens. We show that the generated quantum states violate local realism even in the presence of considerable loss. The occurrence of strong quantum correlations for mesoscopic quantum states of light is particularly beneficial for coupling light and matter quantum systems.
Based on N different coherent states with equal weights and phase-space rotation symmetry, we introduce N-headed incoherent superposition states (NHICSSs) and N-headed coherent superposition states (NHCSSs). These N coherent states are associated with N-order roots of the same complex number. We study and compare properties of NHICSSs and NHCSSs, including average photon number, Mandel Q parameter, quadrature squeezing, Fock matrix elements and Wigner function. Among all these states, only 2HCSS (i.e., Schrodinger cat state) presents quadrature-squeezing effect. Our theoretical results can be …
We use the invariant-based inverse engineering subject to the quasiadiabatic condition to produce robust and high fidelity coherent superposition of quantum states. The inverse engineering provides shortcuts to the desired quantum-state evolution while the quasiadiabaticity provides robustness with respect to errors. We derive simple pulses with low areas which are robust with respect to pulse area and detuning.
Role of quantum interference in the origin of higher-order nonclassical characteristics of radiation field has been probed vis-a-vis a discrete and a continuous superposition of coherent states. Specifically, the possibilities of observing higher-order nonclassical properties (e.g., higher-order antibunching (HOA), higher-order sub-Poissonian photon statistics (HOSPS), higher-order squeezing (HOS) of Hong-Mandel type and Hillery type) have been investigated using a shifted symmetric cat state that reduces to Yurke-Stoler, even and odd coherent states at various limits. This shifted symmetric c…
One of the peculiar features in quantum mechanics is that a superposition of macroscopically distinct states can exits. In optical system, this is highlighted by a superposition of coherent states (SCS), i.e. a superposition of classical states. Recently this highly nontrivial quantum state and its variant have been demonstrated experimentally. Here we demonstrate the superposition of coherent states in quantum measurement which is also a key concept in quantum mechanics. More precisely, we propose and implement a projection measurement onto the arbitrary superposition of the SCS bases in opti…
The quantum metrological performance of spin coherent states superposition is considered, and conditions for measurements with the Heisenberg-limit (HL) precision are identified. It is demonstrated that the choice of the parameter-generating operator can lead to physically different estimation outcomes. In particular, closed-form analytical descriptions for the performance of spin cat states are derived. These findings show the routes to careful control of parameters necessary for achieving HL precision and provide insightful information on the geometry of the specific coherent state superposi…
We investigate an experimentally feasible scheme for amplification of superpositions of coherent states (SCSs) in light fields. This scheme mixes two input SCSs at a 50:50 beam splitter and performs post-selection by a homodyne detection on one output mode. The key idea is to use two different types of SCSs with opposite parities for input states, which results in an amplified output SCS with a nearly perfect fidelity.
We investigate the advantage of coherent superposition of two different coded channels in quantum metrology. In a continuous variable system, we show that the Heisenberg limit $1/N$ can be beaten by the coherent superposition without the help of indefinite causal order. And in parameter estimation, we demonstrate that the strategy with the coherent superposition can perform better than the strategy with quantum \textsc{switch} which can generate indefinite causal order. We analytically obtain the general form of estimation precision in terms of the quantum Fisher information and further prove …
We propose two experimental schemes for producing coherent-state superpositions which approximate different nonclassical states conditionally in traveling optical fields. Although these setups are constructed of a small number of linear optical elements and homodyne measurements, they can be used to generate various photon number superpositions in which the number of constituent states can be higher than the number of measurements in the schemes. We determine numerically the parameters to achieve maximal fidelity of the preparation for a large variety of nonclassical states, such as amplitude …
The nonorthogonality of coherent states is a fundamental property which prevents them from being perfectly and deterministically discriminated. To circumvent this problem, we present an experimentally feasible protocol for the probabilistic orthogonalisation of a pair of coherent states, independent of their amplitude and phase. In contrast to unambiguous state discrimination, successful operation of our protocol is heralded without measuring the states, such that they remain suitable for further manipulation. As such, the resulting orthogonalised state may be used for further processing. Inde…
We derive stochastic master equations for a quantum system interacting with a Bose field prepared in a superposition of continuous-mode coherent states. To determine a conditional evolution of the quantum system we use a collision model with an environment given as an infinite chain of not interacting between themselves qubits prepared initially in a entangled state being a discrete analogue of a superposition of coherent states of the Bose field. The elements of the environment chain interact with the quantum system in turn one by one and they are subsequently measured. We determine a conditi…
We propose related schemes to generate arbitrarily shaped single photons, i.e. photons with an arbitrary temporal profile, and coherent state superpositions using simple optical elements. The first system consists of two coupled cavities, a memory cavity and a shutter cavity, containing a second order optical nonlinearity and electro-optic modulator (EOM) respectively. Photodetection events of the shutter cavity output herald preparation of a single photon in the memory cavity, which may be stored by immediately changing the optical length of the shutter cavity with the EOM after detection. On…
