Sub-Poisson-Binomial Light

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new nonclassicality measure for light, Q_PB, based on click statistics from multiplexed detectors, which is more versatile and practical for integrated quantum nanophotonics.

Contribution

The paper presents Q_PB, a generalized nonclassicality parameter that replaces Q_B, applicable to arbitrary multiplexing schemes and robust against losses in nanophotonic setups.

Findings

Q_PB<0 indicates nonclassical light.

The method is effective with minimal experimental resources.

Nonclassical features are detectable despite significant losses.

Abstract

We introduce the general parameter Q_PB that provides an experimentally accessible nonclassicality measure for light. The parameter is quantified by the click statistics obtained from on-off detectors in a general multiplexing detection setup. Sub-Poisson-binomial statistics, observed by Q_PB<0, indicates that a given state of light is nonclassical. Our new parameter replaces the binomial parameter Q_B for more general cases, where any unbalance among the multiplexed modes is allowed, thus enabling the use of arbitrary multiplexing schemes. The significance of the parameter Q_PB is theoretically examined in a measurement setup that only consists of a ring resonator and a single on-off detector. The proposed setup exploits minimal experimental resources and is geared towards a fully integrated quantum nanophotonic circuit. The results show that nonclassical features remain noticeable even in the presence of significant losses, rendering the new nonclassicality test more practical and flexible to be used in various nanophotonic platforms.