Continuously induced coherence without induced emission

Abstract

The coherence properties of two downconversion processes continuously coupled via idler beams are analyzed. We find that the amount of which-way information about a signal photon carried by idler beams periodically attains its maximum and minimum in the course of evolution. In correspondence with the famous experiments by Mandel's group on the induced coherence without induced emission the coherence of signal beams is governed by that information. The ideal which-way measurement is constructed.

about 9 pages including 7 figures. The continuously coupled downconvertors are now linked to both the experiment on the induced coherence without induced emission and the two-photon interferometer of Ou, Wang, Zou and Mandel