Squeezing in Correlated Quantum Systems

Abstract

We discuss the connection between quantum correlations and squeezing in simple quantum optical systems. We illustrate this connection by a study of two-mode states of light produced by parametric down-conversion and similar two-photon processes. The intermode correlations in these systems are shown to be responsible for modifications in photon-number sum and difference operators, and for squeezing in the superpositions of the two modes. The disappearance of the diagonal coherent-state quasiprobability function P(α) when non-classical light properties are important is noted, and alternative and better-behaved Wigner functions and coherent-state expectation Q-functions for the two-mode system are developed.