Quantum phase properties of the field in a micromaser: Effect of cooperative atomic interactions, cavity losses and pump fluctuations

In this paper, we study the effect of cooperative atomic interactions, cavity losses, and pump fluctuations on quantum phase properties of the field in a one-photon micromaser. We consider, initial coherent state of the radiation field and atoms initially in the excited and coherent superposition of their atomic states, respectively. We find that quantum phase properties of the field in a micromaser are highly sensitive to two-atom events and cavity losses. Both contribute to the randomization of the well-defined phase structure associated with the initial coherent state. However, the approach towards the randomization is quite different in the two cases. We also find that the fluctuations, associated with the random injection of the atoms, affect the phase structure of the coherent state.