  When a single quantum of electromagnetic field excitation is added to the
same spatio-temporal mode of a coherent state, a new field state is generated
that exhibits intermediate properties between those of the two parents. Such a
single-photon-added coherent state is obtained by the action of the photon
creation operator on a coherent state and can thus be regarded as the result of
the most elementary excitation process of a classical light field. Here we
present and describe in depth the experimental realization of such states and
their complete analysis by means of a novel ultrafast, time-domain, quantum
homodyne tomography technique clearly revealing their non-classical character.
