Photon waiting-time distributions: A keyhole into dissipative quantum chaos

Abstract

Open quantum systems can exhibit complex states, for which classification and quantification are still not well resolved. The Kerr-nonlinear cavity, periodically modulated in time by coherent pumping of the intracavity photonic mode, is one of the examples. Unraveling the corresponding Markovian master equation into an ensemble of quantum trajectories and employing the recently proposed calculation of quantum Lyapunov exponents [I. I. Yusipov et al., Chaos 29, 063130 (2019)], we identify “chaotic” and “regular” regimes there. In particular, we show that chaotic regimes manifest an intermediate power-law asymptotics in the distribution of photon waiting times. This distribution can be retrieved by monitoring photon emission with a single-photon detector so that chaotic and regular states can be discriminated without disturbing the intracavity dynamics.