PHY3QMO

Assignment 3
Due date 2pm, 29th May 2017

1/ Consider the superposition number state  01   0   1 where α and β are

complex and satisfy |α|2 + |β|2 = 1. Calculate the variances Xˆ , Xˆ of the 1 2

quadrature operators Xˆ 1   aˆ  aˆ †  and Xˆ 2   aˆ  aˆ †  .

1 1
2 2i
(15+15 = 30 marks)

2/ For a Coherence State  and using nˆ  aˆ †aˆ , show that

a/ nˆ  nˆ  1  aˆ †2 aˆ 2
b/ if nˆ  nˆ  1 nˆ  2  nˆ  (r 1)  1  aˆ †r 1aˆ r 1
then nˆ  nˆ  1 nˆ  2   nˆ  (r  1)  1  nˆ  r  1  aˆ † r aˆ r
c/ a/ and b/ imply (by mathematical induction) that
nˆ  nˆ  1 nˆ  2   nˆ  r  1  aˆ † r aˆ r where r is any positive integer.
Prove that
nˆ  nˆ  1 nˆ  2   nˆ  r  1 
2r

(10+20+20=50 marks)

3/ Define classical optical coherence and quantum coherence. Discuss the

similarities and the differences the two concepts (20 marks)