Measuring quantum state overlaps of traveling optical fields
arXiv:quant-ph/9910029 · doi:10.1016/S0030-4018(99)00537-4
Abstract
We propose a detection scheme for measuring the overlap of the quantum state of a weakly excited traveling-field mode with a desired reference quantum state, by successive mixing the signal mode with modes prepared in coherent states and performing photon-number measurements in an array of beam splitters. To illustrate the scheme, we discuss the measurement of the quantum phase and the detection of Schrodinger-cat-like states.
17 pages, 6 figures, using a4.sty