Abstract

We have experimentally determined the quantum statistics of the radiation field for strongly squeezed states with and without coherent excitation and for coherent states. For this purpose we developed a stable source of continuous-wave squeezed light at 1064 run, using a monolithic lithium niobate optical parametric amplifier (OPA). This device is pumped by an externally frequency-doubled, continuous-wave Nd:YAG laser. For the generation of squeezed vacuum the OPA is pumped below its threshold, while for the generation of phase-squeezed and amplitude-squeezed light the OPA is seeded by a weak signal which is parametrically amplified and deamplified, respectively.

© 1996 IEEE