Optical homodyne detection in view of the joint probability distribution

Abstract

Optical homodyne detection is examined in view of the joint probability distribution. The usual view is that the relative phase between independent laser fields is localized by photon-number measurements in interference experiments such as homodyne detection. This is why operationally coherent states for laser fields are used in the description of homodyne detection and optical quantum-state tomography. Here, we elucidate these situations by considering the joint probability distribution and the invariance of homodyne detection under the phase transformation of optical fields. © 2010 The American Physical Society.