Two schemes to prepare pure number states in a high-Q micromaser with Rydberg atoms are proposed. In the first experiment the atoms are probed after the interaction with the cavity field and the number state is obtained via state reduction. In the second experiment the interaction time of ionic Rydberg atoms with the maser field can be controlled via an electric accelerating field. The velocity of the ions is adjusted in such a way that every ion emits a photon and the total number of photons is exactly known via the total number of passing ions. It is also shown how the photon statistics in the micromaser in general can be probed via the outgoing atoms.

• Received 7 September 1988

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.39.1915