autocorrelation function and photon detection

[Jamie M]

Hi,

Does anyone have information on how the second order autocorrelation
function is used to verify that a light source is emitting single
photons?

cheers,
Jamie

 

[Okkim Atnarivik]

: Does anyone have information on how the second order autocorrelation
: function is used to verify that a light source is emitting single
: photons?

I suppose you mean: how to verify that the emitted light is in
anti-bunched rather than coherent state? In a sense all sources
emit single photons.

Regards,
Mikko

 

[Okkim Atnarivik]

: Does anyone have information on how the second order autocorrelation
In a sense all sources emit single photons

...which was a bad way to describe things ... of course the coherent
state, for instance, is a poissonian superposition of all the photon
number eigenstates. I was thinking the bunched / anti-bunched picture,
which is dangerous because photons are not tiny balls whizzing through
space.

Anyway, isn't the information you're looking for in Wikipedia:
tinyurl.com/chxtdzn ?

Regards,
Mikko

 

[Jeffery Tomas]

"Jamie M" wrote in message news:[email protected]...

Hi,

Does anyone have information on how the second order autocorrelation
function is used to verify that a light source is emitting single
photons?

cheers,
Jamie

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diffusing-wave_spectroscopy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_light_scattering

Remember that light energy and hence intensity is quantized. If your
measuring device is sensitive enough you'll be able to detect these low
quantized levels at very weak intensities.