Optical bistability and photon statistics in cavity quantum electrodynamics
Abstract
The quantum statistical behavior of a small collection of N two-state atoms strongly coupled to the field of a high-finessse optical cavity is investigated. Input-output characteristics are recorded over the range 3<~N<~65, with bistability observed for N>~15 intracavity atoms and for a saturation photon number n0~=0.8. For weak excitation the transmitted field exhibits photon antibunching as a nonclassical manifestation of state reduction and quantum interference with the magnitude of the nonclassical effects largely independent of N.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review Letters
- Pub Date:
- September 1991
- DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevLett.67.1727
- Bibcode:
- 1991PhRvL..67.1727R
- Keywords:
-
- 42.50.Kb;
- 32.80.-t;
- 42.50.Dv;
- 42.65.Pc;
- Photon interactions with atoms;
- Nonclassical states of the electromagnetic field including entangled photon states;
- quantum state engineering and measurements;
- Optical bistability multistability and switching including local field effects