Issrure oF Revs Pumcsens Sonn O2Ps B: QUANTUM ASD SEMICLASSICAL OTS 11 Opt B: Quanmun Semicss Op 4 (2002) RI-R3S PIR Sat aneqanp10N-5 Cryer REVIEW ARTICLE ‘Nonclassical’ states in quantum optics: a ‘squeezed’ review of the first 75 years VV Dodonoy! Departamento de Fisica, Universidade Federal de So Carlos, Via Washington Luiz km 235, 13565-905 So Carlos, SP, Brazil E-mail: vcodonov @df.ufscarbr Received 21 November 2001 Published 8 January 2002 Online at Abstract Seventy five years ago, three remarkable papers by Schrédinger, Kennard and Darwin were published. They were devoted to the evolution of Gaussian wave packets for an oscillator, a free particle and a particle moving in uniform constant electric and magnetic fields. From the Contemporary point of view, these packets can be considered as prototypes of the coherent and squeezeé states, which are, in a sense, the cornerstones of modem quanturn optics. Moreover, these staies are frequently used in many other areas, from solid state physics to cosmology. ‘This paper gives a review of studies pecformed in the field of so-called ‘nonclassical states (squeezed states are their simplest representatives) over the past seventy five years, both in quantum optics and in other branches of quantum physics. My sarting point is to elucidate who introduced different concepts, notions and terms, ‘when. and what were the initial motivations of the authors. Many new references have been found which enlarge the ‘standard citation package’ used by some authors, recovering many undeservedly forgotten (or unnoticed) papers and names. Since it is practically impossible to cite several thousand publications, I have tried to include mainly references to papers introducing new types of quantum states and studying their propertizs, omitting many publications devoted to applications and to the methods of generation and experimental ‘schemes, which can be found in other well known reviews. [also mainly concentrate on the initial period, which terminated approximately at the border between the end of the 1980s and the beginning of the 1990s, when several funclamental experiments on the generation of squeezeé states were performed and the frst conferenices devoted to squeezed and nonclassical’ states commenced. The 1990s are described in a more “squeezed” manner: I have ‘confined myself to references to papers where some new concepts have been introduced, and to the most recent reviews or papers with extensive bibliographical lists. Keywords: Nonclassical states, squeezed states, coherent states, even and odd coherent states, ‘quantum superpositions, minimum uncertainty states, intelligent staies, Gaussian packets, non-Gaussian Coherent states, phase states, group and algebraic coherent states, coherent states for general potentials, relativistic oscillator coherent states, supersymmetric states, ppara-coherent states, q-coherent states, binomial states, photon-added states, multiphoton States, circular states, nonlinear coherent states 1. Introduction ‘quantum optics. Moreover, they are frequently used in many ‘other areas, from solid state physics to cosmology. In 2001 ‘The terms ‘coherent states’, “squeezedstates' and ‘nonclassical and 2002 it will be seventy five years since the publication of states’ caa be encountered in almost every modem paper on three papers by Schrélinger 1), Kennard [2] nd Darwin (3],in 5 On lave fom the Moscow Insite of Physics snd Technology andthe Which the evolutions of Gaussian wavepacket for an oscillator, Lebedev Physics laste, Moscow, Russia. f free paticle and a particle moving in uniform constant 1464-4266902/010001+33530.00 © 2002 1OF Publishing Lid Priated in the UK RIVV Dono clectric and magnetic fields were considered. From the ‘contemporary point of view, these packets can be considered as prototypes of the coherent and squeezed states, which are, in a sense, the comerstones of modern quantum optics. Since the squeezed states are the simplest representatives of a wide family of “nonclassical states’ in quantun optics, it seems appropriate, bearing inmind the jubileedate to give anupdated review of studies performed inthe field of nonclassical states lover the past seventy five yeas, Although extensive lists of publications ean be found in maay review papers and monographs (Soe, eg, Tl), the subject has not been exhausted, because each of them highlighted the topic from its own specific angle. My starting point was tw elucidate who introduced different ‘concepts, notions and terms, when, and what were the initial ‘motivations of the authors. In particular, while performing the search, T discovered that many papers and names have bsen uundeservedly forgotten (or have gone unnoticed for a long time), so that ‘the standard citation package’ used by mary, ‘authors presents a sometimes rather distortedhistorical picture. hope that the present review will help many sesearchers, especially the young, to obtain a less defarned vision of the subject. ‘One of the most complicated problems for any author ‘writing a review is zn inability to supply the complete list of all publications in the area concerned, due to their immense number. In order to diminish the length of the present review, I tied to include only references to papers introducing new types of quantum siates and studying their ‘properties, omitting many publications devoted to applications and to the methods of generation and experimental schemes, ‘The coresponding references can be fourd, e.g,, in other reviews [4-6]. | also concentrate mainly on the initial period, ‘Which terminated approximately atthe borde: between the end of the 1980s and the beginning of tke 1993s, when several fundamental experiments on the generation cf squeezed states ‘were performed and the first conferences devoted to squeczed and ‘noaelassical’ states commenced. The 1990sane described in a more ‘squeezed’ manner, because the recent history will bbe familiar to the readers. For this reason, deseribing that period, {have confined myseifto references to papers Where ome new concepts have been introduced, and to the most recent reviews or papers with extensive bibliographical lists, bbearingin mind that in the Intemet era it is easierto find eeent publications (contrary to the case of forgotten or little known ‘ld publications), 2. Coherent states {tis well known that it was Schrodinger [1] who constnacted {or the fist time in 1926 the ‘nonspreading wavepackets’ of the harmonic oscillator. In modern notation, nese packets can be written as (in the units k = m = = 1) (ele “Werp(—}x4 + Vda — Ja? — Ha). A complex parameter er detesmines the mean values of the ‘coordinate and momentum according tothe relations: )=V2Rea, (6) = V2Ima. ‘The variances of the coordinate and momentum operators, ox = (2) — (8)? and oy = (6) — (9), have equal valves, 0% = op = 1/2, s0 theit product assumes the mi permitted by the Heisenberg uncertainty relation, 1/4 Ceep)ni (turn, this elation, which was formulated by Heisenberg [8] as an approximate inequality, was strictly proven by ‘Kennard [2] and Wey! (91). ‘The simplest way to arrive at formala (1) is to look forthe eigenstates ofthe non-Hermitian annihilation operator rie @ satafying tho omenton station a= Qe sot Gla) = ala). (4 For example, this was done by Glauber in {10}, where the ‘name ‘coherent states” appeared in the text forthe frst time. However, several authors did similar tings before him. The ‘annihilation operator possessing property (3) was introduced by Fock {11}, together with the eigenstates Jn) af the nuraber ‘operator A = @'a, known nowadays as the “Fock states’ (the known eigenfunctions of the hatrionic oseillator in the ‘coordinate rcpresentation in terms ofthe Hermite polynomials ‘were obcained by Schrikdinger in {12)). And it was Iwata ‘who considered for the frst time in 1951 [13] the eigenstates Of the non-Hermitian annihilation operator 2, having derived ‘formula (1) and the now well known expansion aver the Fock boas o Sat clesptiaptp See He) = exp(—la?/: a2 = ‘The states defined by means of equations (4) and (5) were used 4s someauriliary state, permiting to simplify calculations, by Schwinges [14] in 1953. Later, their mathematical properties were studied independently by Rashevstiy {15}, Klauder 16] ‘and Bargmann (17, and these states were discussed bey by Henley and Thisring (18). ‘The coherent stae (5) can be obtained from the vacuum state |0) by means ofthe unitary displacement operator: le) = Dee0), ‘hich was actully used by Feynman and Ulauberas far backs 1951 [19,201 in their studies of quansum transitions caused by the classical currents (Which are reduced to the problem ofthe {forced harmonic oscillator, studied, incum, inthe 19405-19505 by Bazlett and Moyal (211, Feynman (2), Ludwig [23), Husimi [24] and Kemer (25). However, only after the works ty Glauber (10) and ‘Sudarshan (26] (and especially Glauber's work 27), did the coherent states became widely known and intensively used boy many physicists. The fist papers published in magazines, which had dhe combination of words ‘coherent states" in theit ties, wer £27,281 Coherent states have always been considered a ‘the most classical” ones (among the pure quantum states, of Bla) =explaa'—ata) (6)