Freezing a Coherent Field Growth in a Cavity by Quantum Zeno Effect

Understand

We have frozen the coherent evolution of a field in a cavity by repeated measurements of its photon number.

• We use circular Rydberg atoms dispersively coupled to the cavity mode for an absorption-free photon counting.
• These measurements inhibit the growth of a Field injected in the cavity by a classical source.
• This manifestation of the Quantum Zeno effect illustrates the back action of the photon number determination onto the Field phase.