Tailored quantum statistics from broadband states of light

TL;DR

This paper investigates the photon statistics of broadband light from quantum dot superluminescent diodes, demonstrating control over quantum correlations through mode manipulation and coherent light addition, with experimental validation of the theoretical model.

Contribution

It introduces a multi-mode phase-randomized Gaussian model for the quantum state and experimentally verifies its accuracy in controlling photon statistics.

Findings

Photon statistics can be tailored from Gaussian to Poissonian.

The model accurately predicts the photon correlation measurements.

Experimental results match theoretical predictions very well.

Abstract

We analyze the statistics of photons originating from amplified spontaneous emission generated by a quantum dot superluminescent diode. Experimentally detectable emission properties are taken into account by parametrizing the corresponding quantum state as a multi-mode phase-randomized Gaussian density operator. The validity of this model is proven in two subsequent experiments using fast two-photon-absorption detection observing second order equal-time- as well as second order fully time-resolved intensity correlations on femtosecond timescales. In the first experiment, we study the photon statistics when the number of contributing longitudinal modes is systematically reduced by applying well-controlled optical feedback. In a second experiment, we add coherent light from a single-mode laserdiode to quantum dot superluminescent diode broadband radiation. Tuning the power ratio, we realize tailored second order correlations ranging from Gaussian to Poissonian statistics. Both experiments are very well matched by theory, thus giving first insights into quantum properties of radiation from quantum dot superluminescent diodes.