How are quantum optical experiments designed? ;)

[yucheng]

TL;DR Summary

I hope to use experiments (and their theoretical analysis!) to inspire my studies!

inspiration:

1. How does one predict the effects of small modifications (ordering of optical devices etc)? https://www.physicsforums.com/threa...m-et-al-1999-with-small-modification.1047803/
2. In chapter 5 and 6 of A Guide to Experiments in Quantum Optics, the authors deal with the description of cavities, beam splitters and lasers.
3. Optical experiments are very complicated: http://www.2physics.com/2014/03/quantum-up-conversion-of-squeezed.html

How are these experiments designed, analyzed? Some hints I've come across:

• linear optical elements + Fourier Optics allow one to propagate beams and to know their modified characteristics; ABCD matrix analysis
• Beam characteristics (modes etc) and propagation?
• Matrix optics
• Jones calculus

I'm sure it's crucial to know the contribution of each optical element (attenuation, transmission, reflection, refraction, polarizing etc) to the output power to select the right detector sensitivity and the right source.

Of course, then there's the more vigorous analysis on quantum aspects like quantum state tomography, $g^{(2)}$ correlation function, spectral analysis.... etc.

Do you have any examples of this sort of analysis/calculations being done? Do you know where to look for more references on designing and analyzing such experiments?Thanks in advance!P.S. I remember having seen 2 books:
Building electro-optical systems by Hobbs
A first course in laboratory optics by Gretarsson

 

[James1238765]

Plain laser light sources already exhibit quantum effects like interference, so many optical quantum experiments look quite like ordinary lab apparatus, eg [entanglement by polarizing beam splitter]. It is the electron experiments that often require complicated setup [Stern-Gerlach experiment], such as superconducting low temperature magnets, so those are much harder to do without big budgets.