Abstract
We analyze a recent proposal for a new phase operator along with the experiment [J. W. Noh, A. Fougères, and L. Mandel, Phys. Rev. Lett. 67, 1426 (1991)] using phase-space functions. We show that the measured dispersion in phase results from a phase distribution given by the appropriate Wigner function integrated over radius. We relate this experiment to a different phase operator [H. Paul, Fortschr. Phys. 22, 657 (1974)] and the integrated Q function.
- Received 9 June 1992
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.47.R30
©1993 American Physical Society