Non-Gaussianity of quantum states: An experimental test on single-photon-added coherent states

Non-Gaussian states and processes are useful resources in quantum information with continuous variables. An experimentally accessible criterion has been proposed to measure the degree of non-Gaussianity of quantum states based on the conditional entropy of the state with a Gaussian reference. Here we adopt such a criterion to characterize an important class of nonclassical states: single-photon-added coherent states. Our studies demonstrate the reliability and sensitivity of this measure and use it to quantify how detrimental is the role of experimental imperfections in our implementation. © 2010 The American Physical Society