  Quantum optical states which have no coherent amplitude, such as squeezed
vacuum states, can not rely on standard readout techniques to generate error
signals for control of the quadrature phase. Here we investigate the use of
asymmetry in the quadrature variances to obtain a phase-sensitive readout and
to lock the phase of a squeezed vacuum state, a technique which we call noise
locking (NL). We carry out a theoretical derivation of the NL error signal and
the associated stability of the squeezed and anti-squeezed lock points.
Experimental data for the NL technique both in the presence and absence of
coherent fields are shown, including a comparison with coherent locking
techniques. Finally, we use NL to enable a stable readout of the squeezed
vacuum state on a homodyne detector.
