Squeezing arbitrary cavity-field states through their interaction with a single driven atom

We propose an implementation of the parametric amplification of an arbitrary radiation-field state previously prepared in a high-Q cavity. This nonlinear process is accomplished through the dispersive interactions of a single three-level atom (fundamental |g>, intermediate |i>, and excited |e> levels) simultaneously with (i) a classical driving field and (ii) a previously prepared cavity mode whose state we wish to squeeze. We show that, in the adiabatic approximantion, the preparation of the initial atomic state in the intermediate level |i> becomes crucial for obtaining the degenerated parametric amplification process.