Accuracy of Sampling Quantum Phase Space in Photon Counting Experiment

Abstract

We study the accuracy of determining the phase space quasidistribution of a single quantized light mode by a photon counting experiment. We derive an exact analytical formula for the error of the experimental outcome. This result provides an estimation for the experimental parameters, such as the number of events, required to determine the quasidistribution with assumed precision. Our analysis also shows that it is in general not possible to compensate the imperfectness of the photodetector in a numerical processing of the experimental data. The discussion is illustrated with Monte Carlo simulations of the photon counting experiment for the coherent state, the one photon Fock state, and the Schroedinger cat state.

11 pages REVTeX, 5 figures, uses multicol, epsfig, and pstricks. Submitted to Special Issue of Journal of Modern Optics on Quantum State Preparation and Measurement

Cited by in corpus (7)

• Direct measurement of the Wigner function by photon counting
• State reconstruction by on/off measurements
• Direct measurement of optical quasidistribution functions: multimode theory and homodyne tests of Bell's inequalities
• Direct probing of the Wigner function by time-multiplexed detection of photon statistics
• Characteristics of displaced single photons attained via higher order factorial moments
• Statistical uncertainty in quantum optical photodetection measurements
• Sampling the canonical phase from phase-space functions