title: Direct measurement of the spatial Wigner function with area-integrated detection.
abstract: We demonstrate experimentally a novel technique for characterizing transverse spatial coherence by using the Wigner distribution function. The method is based on the measurement of interference between a pair of rotated and displaced replicas of the input beam with an area-integrating detector, and it provides an optimal signal-to-noise ratio in regimes when array detectors are not available. We analyze the quantum-optical picture of the presented measurement for single-photon signals and discuss possible applications in quantum information processing.
authors.affiliation: Clarendon Laboratory, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PU, UK.
authors.forename: Eran
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mukamel
authors.forename: Konrad
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Banaszek
authors.forename: Ian A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Walmsley
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dorrer