A "Schrödinger cat" state of free-propagating light can be defined as a quantum superposition of well separated
coherent states. 1, 2 We demonstrated, theoretically and experimentally, a protocol which allows to generate
arbitrarily large squeezed Schrödinger cat states, using a homodyne detection and photon number states as
resources. We implemented this protocol experimentally with light pulses containing two photons, producing a
squeezed Schrödinger cat state with a negative Wigner function. This state clearly presents several quantum
phase-space interference fringes between the "dead" and "alive" components, and it is large enough to become
useful for experimental tests of quantum theory and quantum information processing.
Osamu Miyakawa, Seiji Kawamura, Benjamin Abbott, Rolf Bork, Peter Fritschel, Lisa Goggin, Jay Heefner, Alexander Ivanov, Fumiko Kawazoe, Conor Mow-Lowry, Alexei Ourjoumtsev, Sihori Sakata, Michael Smith, Kenneth Strain, Robert Taylor, Dennis Ugolini, Stephen Vass, Robert Ward, Alan Weinstein
KEYWORDS: Demodulation, Interferometers, LIGO, Prototyping, Surface plasmons, Modulation, Mirrors, Scanning electron microscopy, Sensors, Control systems
The LIGO Laboratory 40m prototype interferometer at Caltech is being commissioned to prototype an optical configuration for Advanced LIGO. This optical configuration has to control five length degrees of freedom, and its control topology will be significantly more complicated than any other present interferometers. This paper explains the method of sensing, controls and lock acquisition.
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