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Using numerical simulations we show how to realise an optical black hole laser, i.e. an amplifier formed by travelling refractive index perturbations arranged so as to trap light between a white and a black hole horizon. The simulations highlight the main features of these lasers: the growth inside the cavity of positive and negative frequency modes accompanied by a weaker emission of modes that occurs in periodic bursts corresponding to the cavity round trips of the trapped modes. We then highlight a new regime in which the trapped mode spectra broaden until the zero-frequency points on the dispersion curve are reached. Amplification at the horizon is highest for zero-frequencies, therefore leading to a strong modification of the structure of the trapped light. For sufficiently long propagation times, lasing ensues only at the zerofrequency modes.

We generate nonclassical conditional states by exploiting the quantum correlations of multi-mode twin-beam states endowed with a sizeable number of photons. A strong relation between the subshot-noise correlations exhibited by twin beams and the sub-Poissonian character of the conditional states is experimentally revealed. It determines optimal conditions for sub-Poissonian light generation.

We present a robust tool to analyze nonclassical properties of multimode twin-beam states in the mesoscopic photon-number domain. The measurements are performed by direct detection. The analysis exploits three different non-classicality criteria for detected photons exhibiting complementary behavior in the explored intensity regime. Joint signal-idler photon-number distributions and quasi-distributions of integrated intensities are determined and compared with the corresponding distributions of detected photons. Experimental conditions optimal for nonclassical properties of twin-beam states are identified.

This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. Highlights  The  1 band of N 2 O is measured with an extended-cavity quantum cascade laser near 7.8 m  The spectrometer is frequency locked to a Tm:based frequency comb at 1.9 m  70 lines are measured with an estimated systematic uncertainty of 60 kHz.  Accurate spectroscopic constants of the 10 0 0 upper state are derived  The rms of the fit of the line centers is ≈ 4.8×10-6 cm-1 (144 kHz)