Quantum phase fluctuations in the Jaynes-Cummings model: Effects of cavity damping

Abstract Phase properties of a coherent field interacting with a two-level atom in a cavity with very high but finite Q are studied. It is shown that due to the cavity damping the field phase is randomized more quickly than in the ideal-lossless-cavity case. The Hermitian phase distribution and the phase distributions associated with the Q function and the Wigner function are compared. The similarities between them have a clear interpretation in terms of the area of overlap in phase space.