Experimental photon addition and subtraction in multi-mode and entangled optical fields

Abstract: Multiple photon addition and subtraction applied to multi-mode thermal and sub-Poissonian fields as well as twin beams is mutually compared using one experimental setup. Twin beams with tight spatial correlations detected by an intensified CCD camera with high spatial resolution are used to prepare the initial fields. Up to three photons are added or subtracted to arrive at the nonclassical and non-Gaussian states. Only the photon-subtracted thermal states remain classical. In general, the experimental photon-added states exhibit greater nonclassicality and non-Gaussianity than the comparable photon-subtracted states. Once photons are added or subtracted in twin beams, both processes result in comparable properties of the obtained states owing to twin-beam photon pairing.