Post-selected von Neumann Measurement with Superpositions of Orbital-Angular-Momentum Pointer States

Abstract: We investigated an orbital angular momentum (OAM) pointer within the framework of von Neumann measurements and discovered its significant impact on optimizing superpositions of Gaussian and Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) states. Calculations of the quadrature squeezing, the second-order cross-correlation function, the Wigner function, and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) support our findings. Specifically, by carefully selecting the anomalous weak value and the coupling strength between the measured system and the pointer, we demonstrated that the initial Gaussian state transforms into a non-Gaussian state after postselection. This transition highlights the potential of OAM pointers in enhancing the performance of quantum systems by tailoring state properties for specific applications.