Local sampling of the SU(1,1) Wigner function

Abstract: Despite the indisputable merits of the Wigner phase-space formulation, it has not been widely explored for systems with SU(1,1) symmetry, as a simple operational definition of the Wigner function has proved elusive in this case. We capitalize on the unique properties of the parity operator, to derive in a consistent way a \emph{bona fide} SU(1,1) Wigner function that faithfully parallels the structure of its continuous-variable counterpart. We propose an optical scheme, involving a squeezer and photon-number-resolving detectors, that allows for direct point-by-point sampling of that Wigner function. This provides an adequate framework to represent SU(1,1) states satisfactorily.