Abstract

The real and imaginary parts of the square of the field amplitude obey an uncertainty relation. If the uncertainty in either of these variables is less than it would be in a minimum uncertainty state with equal uncertainties in both variables, the state is amplitude-squared squeezed. This is a nonclassical effect which can be produced by second harmonic generation, two-photon absorption, and degenerate parametric amplification, as well as by higher-order processes. Amplitude-squared squeezing can be converted into normal squeezing by interactions in which the square of the amplitude of one field is coupled to the amplitude of another. Second harmonic generation and some forms of four-wave mixing provide examples of such processes.

© 1987 Optical Society of America