Coherent States in Quantum Optics: An Oriented Overview

Jean‐Pierre Gazeau

Abstract Various generalisations (group theoretical, nonlinear, discrete,…) of Glauber-Sudarshan coherent states are presented in a unified way, with their statistical properties and their role in Quantum Mechanics, Quantum Optics, Signal Analysis, and quantization with or without Planck constant.

V. P. Karasev, V. I. Puzyrevskii

G. V. Skrotskiǐ, G. I. Solomakho

It is shown that a perturbation of an optically oriented ensemble of atoms by a nonadiabatically applied external magnetic field makes the density matrix of the ground state generally nondiagonal. The appearance of nonzero nondiagonal elements of the density matrix (i.e., the appearance of coherence) between different Zeeman states is manifested not only by the appearance of transverse components of the magnetization but also by the excitation of nonequilibrium higher-order multipole moments. In particular, if the initial state is oriented, a transverse magnetic field pulse produces an oriented nonequilibrium state. A discussion is given of the possibility of optical detection of nonequilibrium states produced in this way and of their relaxation.

F. T. Arecchi, E. Courtens, Robert Gilmore +1 more

Peter Hannaford

This article reviews the early investigations of Series on the resonance absorption and fluorescence of light by samples of oriented atoms dagger subjected to static and oscillatory magnetic fields. These investigations include experiments on optical-radiofrequency double resonance, light beats in double resonance, circulation of coherence in optical pumping, and time-biasing in level-crossing spectroscopy. It then describes some selected laser spectroscopy experiments involving the interaction of optically oriented atoms with static magnetic fields that were stimulated by the earlier work of Series, including experiments on hyperfine structure quantum beats, cascade quantum beats, ground-state quantum beats in transmission, and optogalvanic detection of atomic coherences. Finally, it describes some current work which uses static magnetic fields to manipulate the external variables (momentum and position) of laser-cooled oriented atoms, with applications in the rapidly developing field of atom optics and atom interferometry.

A. D. Jannussis, Vasileios Bartzis