We study a nonlinear oscillator, which is parametrically driven at a frequency close to twice its eigenfrequency. By judiciously choosing the frequency detuning and linearly increasing the driving amplitude, one can prepare any even quasienergy state starting from the oscillator ground state. Such state preparation is effectively adiabatic. We find the Wigner distribution of the prepared states. For a different choice of the frequency detuning, the adiabaticity breaks down, which allows one to prepare on demand a superposition of quasienergy states using Landau-Zener-type transitions. We find the characteristic spectrum of the transient radiation emitted by the oscillator after it has been prepared in a given quasienergy state.

• Received 21 March 2017

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.95.053841