Double self-Kerr scheme for optical Schrodinger-cat state preparation

We propose a scheme for preparing optical Schrodinger-cat states in a traveling wave setting. Two states are similarly prepared via the self-Kerr effect, and after mixing them, one mode is measured by homodyne detection. In the other mode, a superposition of coherent states is conditionally prepared. The advantage of the scheme is that assuming a small Kerr effect, one can prepare with a high probability one of a set of Schrodinger-cat states. The measured value of the quadrature provides information about which one of the set of states is actually prepared.