Thermal state truncation by using quantum scissors device

A non-Gaussian state being a mixture of the vacuum and single-photon states can be generated by truncating a thermal state in a quantum scissors device of Pegg et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 81 (1998) 1604]. In contrast to the thermal state, the generated state shows nonclassical property including the negativity of Wigner function. Besides, signal amplification and signal-to-noise ratio enhancement can be achieved.