Abstract

The quantum characteristic function for two arbitrary operators $\widehat{A},\widehat{B}$ serves the definition of a quantum quasidistribution for the two operators [1]. With the application in quantum optics in sight, we set $\widehat{A}=\widehat{n},\widehat{B}=\widehat{P}=-i\left(\widehat{a}-{\widehat{a}}^{†}\right)$, where $\widehat{n}$ is the photon number operator, $\widehat{P}$ is the quadrature operator, and $\widehat{a}$ is the field operator. In a coherent state |α⟩, the quasidistribution is The quasidistribution K^nP(n, P, α) must be treated as a generalized function, in principle, and it could express that the variable n is restricted to the integers.

© 1996 IEEE