Bootstrapping approach for generating maximally path-entangled photon states.

We propose a bootstrapping approach to the generation of maximally path-entangled states of photons, so-called "NOON states." The strong atom-light interaction of cavity QED can be employed to generate NOON states with about 100 photons. These can then be used to boost the existing experimental Kerr nonlinearities based on quantum coherence effects, to facilitate NOON generation with an arbitrarily large number of photons. We also offer an alternative scheme that uses an atom-cavity dispersive interaction to obtain a sufficiently high Kerr nonlinearity necessary for arbitrary NOON generation.