Jiho Park, Heonoh Kim, Han Seb Moon, "Second-order interference of true thermal light from a warm atomic ensemble in two independent unbalanced interferometers," Photonics Res. 9, 49 (2021)

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- Photonics Research
- Vol. 9, Issue 1, 49 (2021)

Fig. 1. Experimental configuration. (a) HBT experiment. (b) SOI with two independent unbalanced Mach–Zehnder interferometers.

Fig. 2. Superradiant photons from Doppler-broadened cascade-type Rb 87 atoms. (a) Cascaded three-level atomic system of 5 S 1 / 2 − 5 P 3 / 2 − 5 D 5 / 2 transition of Rb 87 atoms. (b) Superradiant photon generation via SFWM process in the Rb 87 atomic vapor cell with counterpropagating pump and coupling lasers. (c) Temporal statistical spectrum of signal photons obtained via HBT setup for accumulation time of 180 s.

Fig. 3. Experimental setup for second-order interference with thermal light. SOI obtained with the use of unbalanced Michelson interferometers with large path difference: M, mirror; POL, polarizer; Q, quarter-wave plate; H, half-wave plate; PBS, polarizing beam splitter; SPD, single-photon detector.

Fig. 4. Temporal waveform of real thermal light in Franson-type interferometer from Doppler-broadened cascade-type Rb 87 atoms.

Fig. 5. Second-order interference with thermal light in two unbalanced Michelson interferometers. (a) SOI fringe of thermal light as a function of Δ x 1 with fixed Δ x 2 (coincidence detection of both SPDs). (b) Absence of first-order interference fringes in both SPD1 (blue circles) and SPD2 (red circles) as a function of Δ x 1 or Δ x 2 . (c) SOI fringe as a function of Δ x 1 when Δ x 1 and Δ x 2 are varied equally in opposite directions (Δ x 2 = − Δ x 1 ). (d) Absence of SOI fringe when Δ x 1 and Δ x 2 are varied equally along the same direction (Δ x 1 = Δ x 2 ).

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