  Within the dipole approximation we describe the interaction of a photodiode
with the quantum electric field. The diode is modelled by an electron in a
bound state which upon interaction, treated perturbatively in the paper, can
get excited to one of the scattering states. We furthermore analyze a balanced
homodyne detector (BHD) with a local oscillator (LO) consisting of two
photodiodes illuminated by a monochromatic coherent state. We show, that to the
leading order the BHD's output measures the expectation value of the quantum
electric field, in the state without the LO, restricted to the frequency of the
LO. The square of the output measures the two-point function of the quantum
field. This shows that the BHDs provide tools for measurements of sub-vacuum
(negative) expectation values of the squares quantum fields and thus for test
of Quantum Energy Inequality - like bounds, or other QFT effects under the
influence of external conditions.
