Non-classicality criteria for N-dimensional optical fields detected by quadratic detectors

TL;DR

This paper develops new non-classicality criteria for N-dimensional optical fields using intensity moments and photon-number probabilities, extending Hillery's criteria, and applies them to a 3-mode experimental field to evaluate their effectiveness.

Contribution

It introduces generalized non-classicality criteria for multi-dimensional optical fields and demonstrates their application to real experimental data.

Findings

Criteria successfully detect non-classicality in a 3-mode field.

Non-classicality depths enable comparison of different criteria.

Extension of Hillery criteria to N-dimensional fields.

Abstract

Non-classicality criteria for general N-dimensional optical fields are derived. They involve intensity moments, the probabilities of photon-number distributions or combinations of both. The Hillery criteria for the sums of the probabilities of even or odd photon numbers are generalized to N-dimensional fields. As an example, the derived non-classicality criteria are applied to an experimental 3-mode optical field containing two types of photon-pair contributions. The accompanying non-classicality depths are used to mutually compare their performance.