We present an experimental realisation of the direct scheme for measuring the Wigner function of a single quantized light mode. In this method, the Wigner function is determined as the expectation value of the photon number parity operator for the phase space displaced quantum state.
We present the reconstruction of the Wigner function of a classical phase-sensitive state, a pulsed coherent state, by measurements of the distributions of detected-photons of the state displaced by a coherent probe field. By using a hybrid photodetector operated above its photon-resolving regime, we obtained both the statistics at different values of the probe field and the values of the probe phase required to reconstruct the Wigner function.
A connection of the Wigner-Yanase skew information and multiple quantum (MQ) NMR coherences is considered at different temperatures and evolution times of nuclear spins with dipole-dipole interactions in MQ NMR experiments in solids. It is shown that the Wigner-Yanase skew information at temperature $T$ is equal to the double second moment of the MQ NMR spectrum at the double temperature for any evolution times. A comparison of the many-spin entanglement obtained with the Wigner-Yanase information and the Fisher information is conducted.
We present a filtered backprojection algorithm for reconstructing the Wigner function of a system of large angular momentum j from Stern-Gerlach-type measurements. Our method is advantageous over the full determination of the density matrix in that it is insensitive to experimental fluctuations in j, and allows for a natural elimination of high-frequency noise in the Wigner function by taking into account the experimental uncertainties in the determination of j, its projection m, and the quantization axis orientation. No data binning and no arbitrary smoothing parameters are necessary in this …
Using linear invariant operators in a constructive way we find the most general thermal density operator and Wigner function for time-dependent generalized oscillators. The general Wigner function has five free parameters and describes the thermal Wigner function about a classical trajectory in phase space. The contour of the Wigner function depicts an elliptical orbit with a constant area moving about the classical trajectory, whose eccentricity determines the squeezing of the initial vacuum.
We report the experimental point-by-point sampling of the Wigner function for nonclassical states created in an ultrafast pulsed type-II parametric down-conversion source. We use a loss-tolerant time-multiplexed detector based on a fiber-optical setup and a pair of photon-number-resolving avalanche photodiodes. By capitalizing on an expedient data-pattern tomography, we assess the properties of the light states with outstanding accuracy. The method allows us to reliably infer the squeezing of genuine two-mode states without any phase reference.
We study Wigner function value statistics of classically chaotic quantum maps on compact 2D phase space. We show that the Wigner function statistics of a random state is a Gaussian, with the mean value becoming negligible compared to the width in the semi-classical limit. Using numerical example of quantized sawtooth map we demonstrate that the relaxation of time-dependent Wigner function statistics, starting from a coherent initial state, takes place on a logarithmically short log (hbar) time scale.
We investigate the capabilities of loss-tolerant quantum state characterization using a photon-number resolving, time-multiplexed detector (TMD). We employ the idea of probing the Wigner function point-by-point in phase space via photon parity measurements and displacement operations, replacing the conventional homodyne tomography. Our emphasis lies on reconstructing the Wigner function of non-Gaussian Fock states with highly negative values in a scheme that is based on a realistic experimental setup. In order to establish the concept of loss-tolerance for state characterization we show how lo…
We propose a method for measuring entangled vibronic quantum states of a trapped atom. It is based on the nonlinear dynamics of the system that appears by resonantly driving a weak electronic transition. The proposed technique allows the direct sampling of a Wigner-function matrix, displaying all knowable information on the quantum correlations of the motional and electronic degrees of freedom of the atom. It opens novel possibilities for testing fundamental predictions of the quantum theory concerning interaction phenomena.
Non-Gaussian correlations in a pure state are inextricably linked with non-classical features, such as a non positive-definite Wigner function. In a commonly used simulation technique in ultracold atoms and quantum optics, known as the truncated Wigner method, the quantum dynamics is mapped to stochastic trajectories in phase space, governed by a positive approximation to the true Wigner distribution. The question thus arises: how accurate is this approach in predicting truly non-classical behaviour? In this article, we benchmark the ability of the truncated Wigner phase-space method to reprod…
Wigner distribution function has much importance in quantum statistical mechanics. It finds applications in various disciplines of physics including condense matter, quantum optics, to name but a few. Wigner distribution function is introduced by E. Wigner in 1932. However, there is no analytical derivation of Wigner distribution function in the literatures, to date. In this paper, a simple analytical derivation of Wigner distribution function is presented. Our derivation is based on two assumptions, these are A) by taking the integral of Wigner distribution function, with respect to configura…
Based on Takahashi-Umezawa thermo field dynamics and the order-invariance of Weyl ordered operators under similar transformations, we present a new approach to deriving the exact Wigner functions of thermo number state, photon subtracted and added thermo vacuum state. We find that these Wigner functions are related to the Gaussian-Laguerre type functions of temperature, whose statistical properties are then analysed.
A statistical multistream description of quantum plasmas is formulated, using the Wigner-Poisson system as dynamical equations. A linear stability analysis of this system is carried out, and it is shown that a Landau-like damping of plane wave perturbations occurs due to the broadening of the background Wigner function that arises as a consequence of statistical variations of the wave function phase. The Landau-like damping is shown to suppress instabilities of the one- and two-stream type.
We have studied statistical properties of the values of the Wigner function W(x) of 1D quantum maps on compact 2D phase space of finite area V. For this purpose we have defined a Wigner function probability distribution P(w) = (1/V) int delta(w-W(x)) dx, which has, by definition, fixed first and second moment. In particular, we concentrate on relaxation of time evolving quantum state in terms of W(x), starting from a coherent state. We have shown that for a classically chaotic quantum counterpart the distribution P(w) in the semi-classical limit becomes a Gaussian distribution that is fully de…
We propose a method for characterizing a photodetector by directly reconstructing the Wigner functions of the detector's Positive-Operator-Value-Measure (POVM) elements. This method extends the works of S. Wallentowitz and Vogel [Phys. Rev. A 53, 4528 (1996)] and Banaszek and Wódkiewicz [Phys. Rev. Lett. 76, 4344 (1996)] for quantum state tomography via weak-field homodyne technique to characterize quantum detectors. The scheme uses displaced thermal mixtures as probes to the detector and reconstructs the Wigner function of the photodetector POVM elements from its outcome statistics. In order …
In contrast to classical physics, the language of quantum mechanics involves operators and wave functions (or, more generally, density operators). However, in 1932, Wigner formulated quantum mechanics in terms of a distribution function $W(q,p)$, the marginals of which yield the correct quantum probabilities for $q$ and $p$ separately \cite{wigner}. Its usefulness stems from the fact that it provides a re-expression of quantum mechanics in terms of classical concepts so that quantum mechanical expectation values are now expressed as averages over phase-space distribution functions. In other wo…
We derive sampling functions for estimation of quantum state fidelity with Schrödinger cat-like states, which are defined as superpositions of two coherent states with opposite amplitudes. We also provide sampling functions for fidelity with squeezed Fock states that can approximate the cat-like states and can be generated from Gaussian squeezed states by conditional photon subtraction. The fidelities can be determined by averaging the sampling functions over quadrature statistics measured by homodyne detection. The sampling functions are designed such that they can compensate for losses and i…
We investigate quantum properties of pulsed light fields point by point in phase space. We probe the negative region of the Wigner function of a single photon generated by the means of waveguided parametric down-conversion. This capability is achieved by employing loss-tolerant photon-number resolving detection, allowing us to directly observe the oscillations of the photon statistics in dependence of applied displacements in phase space. Our scheme is highly mode sensitive and can reveal the single-mode character of the signal state.
We present a novel interpretation of the Wigner-Araki-Yanase (WAY) theorem based on a relational view of quantum mechanics. Several models are analysed in detail, backed up by general considerations, which serve to illustrate that the moral of the WAY theorem may be that in the presence of symmetry, a measuring apparatus must fulfil the dual purpose of both reflecting the statistical behaviour of the system under investigation, and acting as a physical reference system serving to define those quantities which must be understood as relative.
The Wigner function of quantum systems is an effective instrument to construct the approximate classical description of the systems for which the classical approximation is possible. During the last time, the Wigner function formalism is applied as well to seek indications of specific quantum properties of quantum systems leading to impossibility of the classical approximation construction. Most of all, as such an indication the existence of negative values in Wigner function for specific states of the quantum system being studied is used. The existence of such values itself prejudices the pro…
For the visualization of quantum states, the approach based on Wigner functions can be very effective. Homodyne detection has been extensively used to obtain the density matrix, Wigner functions and tomographic reconstructions of optical fields for many thermal, coherent or squeezed states. Here, we use time-domain optical homodyne tomography for the quantum state recognition and reconstruction of the femtosecond optical field from a nonequilibrium superradiant coherent electron-hole state formed in a semiconductor laser structure. We observe severe deviations from the Poissonian statistics of…
By a Wigner-function calculation, we evaluate the trace of a certain Gaussian operator arising in the theory of a boson system subject to both finite temperature and (weak) interaction. Thereby we rederive (and generalize) a recent result by Kocharovsky, Kocharovsky, and Scully [Phys. Rev. A, vol. 61, art. 053606 (2000)] in a way that is technically much simpler. One step uses a special case of the response of Wigner functions to linear transformations, and we demonstrate the general case by simple means. As an application we extract the counting statistics for each mode of the Bose gas.
This article has to do with the derivation and solution of the Fokker--Planck equation associated to the momentum-independent Wigner function, of a particle subjected to a harmonic external field and immersed in a ohmic thermal bath of quantum harmonic oscillators. The strategy employed is a simplified version of the phenomenological approach of Schramm, Jung and Grabert of interpreting the operators as c-numbers to derive the adjoint equation arising from a twofold transformation of the Wigner function of the entire phase space. The statistical properties of the random noise comes from the in…
Particle distributions in squeezed states, even and odd coherent states are given in terms of multivariable Hermite polynomials. The Q--function and Wigner function for nonclassical field states are discussed.
We investigate exponential phase moments of the s-parametrized quasidistributions (smoothed Wigner functions). We show that the knowledge of these moments as functions of s provides, together with photon-number statistics, a complete description of the quantum state. We demonstrate that the exponential phase moments can be directly sampled from the data recorded in balanced homodyne detection and we present simple expressions for the sampling kernels. The phase moments are Fourier coefficients of phase distributions obtained from the quasidistributions via integration over the radial variable …
In spite of their potential usefulness, the characterizations of Wigner functions for Bose and Fermi statistics given by O'Connell and Wigner himself almost thirty years ago has drawn little attention. With an eye towards applications in quantum chemistry, we revisit and reformulate them in a more convenient way.
Generation of Wigner functions of Landau levels and determination of their symmetries and generic properties are achieved in the autonomous framework of deformation quantization. Transformation properties of diagonal Wigner functions under space inversion, time reversal and parity transformations are specified and their invariance under a four-parameter subgroup of symplectic transformations are established. A generating function for all Wigner functions is developed and this has been identified as the phase-space coherent state for Landau levels. Integrated forms of generating function are us…
We apply the Wigner function formalism to partial Bell-state analysis using polarization entanglement produced in parametric down conversion. Two-photon statistics at a beam-splitter are reproduced by a wavelike description with zeropoint fluctuations of the electromagnetic field. In particular, the fermionic behaviour of two photons in the singlet state is explained from the invariance on the correlation properties of two light beams going through a balanced beam-splitter. Moreover, we show that a Bell-state measurement introduces some fundamental noise at the idle channels of the analyzers. …
Clifford circuits are insufficient for universal quantum computation or creating $t$-designs with $t\ge 4$. While the entanglement entropy is not a telltale of this insufficiency, the entanglement spectrum is: the entanglement levels are Poisson-distributed for circuits restricted to the Clifford gate-set, while the levels follow Wigner-Dyson statistics when universal gates are used. In this paper we show, using finite-size scaling analysis of different measures of level spacing statistics, that in the thermodynamic limit, inserting a single T $(π/8)$ gate in the middle of a random Clifford ci…
Real non-symmetric matrices may have either real or complex conjugate eigenvalues. These matrices can be seen to be pseudo-symmetric as $ηM η^{-1} = M^t$, where the metric $η$ could be secular (a constant matrix) or depending upon the matrix elements of $M$. Here, we construct ensembles of a large number $N$ of pseudo-symmetric $n \times n$ ($n$ large) matrices using ${\cal N}$ $(n(n+1)/2 \le {\cal N} \le n^2)$ independent and identically distributed (iid) random numbers as their elements. Based on our numerical calculations, we conjecture that for these ensembles the Nearest Level Spacing Dis…
We show that in a quantum system evolving unitarily under a stochastic quantum circuit the notions of irreversibility, universality of computation, and entanglement are closely related. As the state evolves from an initial product state, it gets asymptotically maximally entangled. We define irreversibility as the failure of searching for a disentangling circuit using a Metropolis-like algorithm. We show that irreversibility corresponds to Wigner-Dyson statistics in the level spacing of the entanglement eigenvalues, and that this is obtained from a quantum circuit made from a set of universal g…
Non-Gaussian operations are essential to exploit the quantum advantages in optical continuous variable quantum information protocols. We focus on mode-selective photon addition and subtraction as experimentally promising processes to create multimode non-Gaussian states. Our approach is based on correlation functions, as is common in quantum statistical mechanics and condensed matter physics, mixed with quantum optics tools. We formulate an analytical expression of the Wigner function after subtraction or addition of a single photon, for arbitrarily many modes. It is used to demonstrate entang…
We present new sum rules for $3jm$ coefficients, which involve, in addition to the usual weighting factor $(2j + 1)$ where $j$ is an angular momentum, the quantity $[j(j + 1)]^k$ with $k \ge 1$. The sum rules appear for instance in the statistical modeling of rotational spectra within the theory of moments, and enable one to deduce the expectation values of $r^k$ (used in the theory of Stark effect for hydrogenic ions) in parabolic coordinates from the expectation values of $r^k$ in spherical coordinates.
The entanglement between two arbitrary subsystems of random pure states is studied via properties of the density matrix's partial transpose, $ρ_{12}^{T_2}$. The density of states of $ρ_{12}^{T_2}$ is close to the semicircle law when both subsystems have dimensions which are not too small and are of the same order. A simple random matrix model for the partial transpose is found to capture the entanglement properties well, including a transition across a critical dimension. Log-negativity is used to quantify entanglement between subsystems and analytic formulas for this are derived based on the …
We define here q-Gamow states corresponding to Tsallis' q-statistics. We compute for them their norm, mean energy value an the q-analogue of the Breit-Wigner distribution (a q-Breit-Wigner).