Abstract

The optimal communication of information requires a medium with low background noise and a wide bandwidth.⁽¹⁾ In quantum limited communication, the limit due to quantum mechanics is normally attributed to shot-noise in the detector. A number of experimental groups have now shown that shot-noise can be reduced dramatically with antibunched or squeezed radiation.⁽²⁾ In fact, the noise-reduction obtained this way is still restricted by fundamental quantum entropy limits. While we can do much better than Poisson limited shot—noise, it is not possible to eliminate quantum fluctuations completely.

© 1988 Optical Society of America