2020/04/27 by Podhora, L., Pham, T., Lešundák, A. +6
#Atomic Physics (physics.atom-ph) #FOS: Physical sciences #Quantum Physics (quant-ph)
paper · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2004.12863
We report on the robust experimental accumulation of nonclassicallity of motion of a single trapped ion. The nonclassicality stems from deterministic incoherent modulation of thermal phonon number distribution implemented by a laser excitation of nonlinear coupling between the ion's internal - electronic levels and external - motional states. We demonstrate that the repetitive application of this nonlinear process monotonically accumulates the observable state nonclassicality. The output states converge to a phonon number distribution with high overlap with a particular Fock state and visible quantum non-Gaussian aspects including corresponding negative Wigner function. The resulting oscillator states prove deterministic transition in the hierarchy of quantum non-Gaussianity up to four phonons. This transition is very robust against experimental imperfections and produces increasing entanglement potential.