Indefinite-Mean Pareto Photon Distribution from Amplified Quantum Noise

Manceau M, Spasibko KY, Leuchs G, Filip R, Chekhova M (2019)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2019

Journal

Physical Review Letters American Physical Society

Book Volume: 123

Article Number: 123606

Journal Issue: 12

DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.123.123606

Abstract

Extreme events appear in many physics phenomena, whenever the probability distribution has a "heavy tail" differing very much from the equilibrium one. Most unusual are the cases of power-law (Pareto) probability distributions. Among their many manifestations in physics, from "rogue waves" in the ocean to Lévy flights in random walks, Pareto dependences can follow very different power laws. For some outstanding cases, the power exponents are less than 2, leading to indefinite values not only for higher moments but also for the mean. Here we present the first evidence of indefinite-mean Pareto distribution of photon numbers at the output of nonlinear effects pumped by parametrically amplified vacuum noise, known as bright squeezed vacuum (BSV). We observe a Pareto distribution with power exponent 1.31 when BSV is used as a pump for supercontinuum generation, and other heavy-tailed distributions (however, with definite moments) when it pumps optical harmonics generation. Unlike in other fields, we can flexibly control the Pareto exponent by changing the experimental parameters. This extremely fluctuating light is interesting for ghost imaging and for quantum thermodynamics as a resource to produce more efficiently nonequilibrium states by single-photon subtraction, the latter of which we demonstrate experimentally.

Authors with CRIS profile

Gerhard Leuchs Lehrstuhl für Experimentalphysik (Optik) Maria Chekhova Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät

Involved external institutions

Max-Planck-Institut für die Physik des Lichts (MPL) / Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light DE Germany (DE) Palacky University Olomouc / Univerzita Palackého v Olomouci CZ Czech Republic (CZ)

How to cite

APA:

Manceau, M., Spasibko, K.Y., Leuchs, G., Filip, R., & Chekhova, M. (2019). Indefinite-Mean Pareto Photon Distribution from Amplified Quantum Noise. Physical Review Letters, 123(12). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.123.123606

MLA:

Manceau, Mathieu, et al. "Indefinite-Mean Pareto Photon Distribution from Amplified Quantum Noise." Physical Review Letters 123.12 (2019).

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