Multilevel quantum systems lose coherence due to quantum jumps. One example is the spontaneous decay between the internal levels of an atom. In this work, we propose and implement a way to simulate experimentally a three-level system under a quantum jump using a three-mode photonic system. We simulated three different dynamics of spontaneous decay in a three-level atomic system: cascade decay, $\mathrm{\Lambda }$ decay, and $V$ decay. With an attenuated light coherent source at photon level, we have prepared photons in a three-path superposition state, which was encoded in parallel Gaussian modes. By programming a spatial light modulator (SLM) for producing periodical phase modulation, we were able to implement the corresponding dynamical maps for quantum jumps in terms of the Kraus operator decomposition. Our results have verified experimentally the variation of the population levels and the decoherence effects caused by quantum jumps in the three decay configurations of the three-level system.

中文翻译：

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使用光子高斯模式模拟三能级系统中的量子跃迁

多级量子系统由于量子跳跃而失去了相干性。一个例子是原子内部能级之间的自发衰减。在这项工作中，我们提出并实现了一种使用三模光子系统在量子跳跃下实验性地仿真三能级系统的方法。我们在三级原子系统中模拟了三种不同的自发衰变动力学：级联衰变，$\mathrm{\Lambda }$ 衰变 $V$衰变。利用光子级的衰减光相干源，我们准备了三路径叠加状态的光子，该状态以并行高斯模式编码。通过对空间光调制器（SLM）进行编程以产生周期性的相位调制，我们能够根据Kraus算子分解为量子跃迁实现相应的动态图。我们的结果已通过实验验证了三能级系统的三个衰变构型中的能级变化和量子跃迁引起的退相干效应。