Conditional quantum-state engineering using ancillary squeezed-vacuum states

We investigate an optical scheme to conditionally engineer quantum states using a beam splitter, homodyne detection and a squeezed vacuum as an ancillar state. This scheme is efficient in producing non-Gaussian quantum states such as squeezed single photons and superpositions of coherent states (SCSs). We show that a SCS with well defined parity and high fidelity can be generated from a Fock state of n ≤ 4, and conjecture that this can be generalized for an arbitrary n Fock state. We describe our experimental demonstration of this scheme using coherent input states and measuring experimental fidelities that are only achievable using quantum resources.