Unbalanced Homodyne Correlation Measurements

A method is introduced which allows to measure normal-ordered moments of the displaced photon-number operator up to high orders. It is based on unbalanced homodyne correlation measurements, the local oscillator being replaced by a displaced dephased laser. The measured moments yield a simple approximation of the full quantum state, which is obtained without the need of photon-number resolution. Quantum properties of light are efficiently certified through the direct detection of normal-ordered observables, which is illustrated for a weakly squeezed vacuum and a single-photon-added thermal state.