Abstract

Quantum mechanical variables that can be measured without being perturbed are known as quantum nondemolition (QND) observables, and the associated measurement is a QND or back-action evasion measurement.. One such QND observable Is the photon number of an optical soliton confined to a low-loss optical fiber. Taking advantage of the fact that quantum solitons, like classical solitons, can collide with each other without suffering a change in either photon number or shape¹, we have demonstrated a QND measurement of soliton photon number. Here, we describe our method of measurement, and report our results.

© 1992 Optical Society of America