Theory of Interferometric Photon-Correlation Measurements: Differentiating Coherent from Chaotic Light

Abstract

Interferometric photon-correlation measurements, which correspond to the second-order intensity cross-correlations between the two output ports of an unbalanced Michelson interferometer, are sensitive to both amplitude and phase fluctuations of an incoming beam of light. Here, we present the theoretical framework behind these measurements and show that they can be used to unambiguously differentiate a coherent wave undergoing dynamical amplitude and phase fluctuations from a chaotic state of light. This technique may thus be used to characterize the output of nanolasers and monitor the onset of coherent emission.

References in corpus (4)

• Photon-correlation Fourier spectroscopy
• Higher-order photon correlations in pulsed photonic crystal nanolasers
• Unequivocal differentiation of coherent and chaotic light through interferometric photon correlation measurements
• Coexistence of thermal noise and squeezing in the intensity fluctuations of small laser diodes

Cited by in corpus (6)

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• Hong-Ou-Mandel interference of unconventional temporal laser modes
• Second-order correlation function supported optical sensing for particle detection
• Photon correlation Fourier spectroscopy of a B center in hBN