Description
I will introduce the basic concepts and provide real experimental examples of quantum state engineering and measurement, with special emphasis to continuous-variable quantum optical states of light. The first lecture will introduce fundamental ideas and describe the basic tools, such as parametric down-conversion processes and balanced homodyne detection, for the manipulation and complete characterization of a quantum light field. The second lecture will be devoted to presenting some advanced applications to a variety of nonclassical states of light, with illustrations of the most fundamental concepts of quantum mechanics at play in the laboratory.