Squeezing and superposition states

Abstract

We present a new class of radiation field states which exhibit squeezed fluctuations. This new class of states are formed by a simple implementation of the superposition principle and are fundamentally different from the conventional two-photon coherent squeezed states. We demonstrate the importance of these states as the natural product of the resonant interaction of suitably prepared atoms with the radiation field. We establish a general relationship between reduced quantum fluctuations of these field states and the dipole fluctuations of the atoms which produce them.