A general quantum theory of continuous photodetection is applied to an initially squeezed state to clarify effects of quantum-mechanical measurement backaction on a highly nonclassical field. The remaining photon field is found to oscillate in time between super- and sub-Poissonian photon statistics due to the backaction of the photon-number measurement.

• Received 12 April 1990

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.66.1046