Superbunching pseudothermal light with intensity modulated laser light and rotating groundglass

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that replacing invariant laser light with intensity-modulated laser light in pseudothermal sources produces superbunching effects, enhancing understanding of two-photon interference and classical-quantum distinctions.

Contribution

It introduces a novel method to generate superbunching pseudothermal light using intensity-modulated laser light, supported by experimental validation and theoretical analysis.

Findings

Experimental observation of two-photon superbunching.

Use of Feynman's path integral theory for interpretation.

Enhanced understanding of classical and quantum interference differences.

Abstract

Pseudothermal light by scattering laser light from rotating groundglass has been extensively employed to study optical coherence in both classical and quantum optics ever since its invention in 1960s. In this paper, we will show that by replacing the invariant intensity laser light in pseudothermal light source with intensity modulated laser light, superbunching pseudothermal light can be obtained. Two-photon interference in Feynman's path integral theory is employed to interpret the phenomenon. Two-photon superbunching is experimentally observed by employing common instruments in optical laboratory. The proposed superbunching pseudothermal light is helpful to understand the physics of two-photon bunching and superbunching, and the difference between classical and quantum interpretations of the second- and higher-order interference of light.