The Wigner distribution function for squeezed vacuum superposed state

In this paper, we construct the Wigner distribution function for a single-mode squeezed vacuum mixed-state which is a superposition of the squeezed vacuum state. This state is defined as a P-representation for the density operator. The obtained Wigner function depends, beside the phase-space variables, on the mean number of photons occupied by the coherent state of the mode. This mean number relates to the mean free path through a given relation, which enables us to measure this number experimentally by measuring the mean free path. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.