Atomic Beam Correlations and the Quantum State of the Micromaser

Correlation measurements on atoms having passed through a micromaser can be used to infer properties of the quantum state of the radiation field in the cavity. Long- (or short)-range correlations in time are associated with super- (or sub)-Poissonian photon statistics. In some realistic experimental situations the long-range correlations may reach a magnitude of many times the decay time of the cavity. Our assertions are verified by comparing theoretical calculations with a high-precision Monte Carlo simulation of the micromaser system.