Measuring quasiprobability distribution functions of the cavity field considering field and atomic decays

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that it is possible to reconstruct the quantum state of a dissipative cavity field using atoms passing through the cavity, even when both atomic and field decays are present, by measuring quasiprobability distributions.

Contribution

It introduces a method to reconstruct the quantum state of a cavity field considering both atomic and field decays, expanding previous techniques to more realistic dissipative scenarios.

Findings

Both atomic and field decays allow measurement of quasiprobability distributions.

The Wigner function can be reconstructed considering atomic decay alone.

Complete information of the initial field state can be recovered despite dissipation.

Abstract

We study the possibility of reconstructing the quantum state of light in a cavity subject to dissipation. We pass atoms, also subject to decay, through the cavity and surprisingly show that both decays allow the measurement of $s$-parametrized quasiprobability distributions. In fact, if we consider only atomic decay, we show that the Wigner function may be reconstructed. Because these distributions contain whole information of the initial field state, it is possible to recover information after both atomic and field decays occur.