A Quantum Theory of Optical Dispersion

L. Crivellari

Abstract This paper is the first one of a series of two on the role of the optical dispersion in the historical development of early quantum mechanics. As preparation for the successive paper on Ladenburg’s development of the phenomenological theory of radiative transitions between the stationary states of an atom by Einstein, we present here the current theories on optical dispersion between the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century.

GREGORY A. BREIT

K. S. Tikhonov, D. M. Malyshev, V. A. Averchenko

Temporal modes of quantum light pulses is a promising resource for modern quantum technologies, driving advancements in quantum computing, communication, and metrology. Precise control and manipulation of these modes remain critical challenges, particularly in systems where nonlinear multimode dynamics interact with dispersion effects. In this work, we focus on the role of group velocity dispersion (GVD) within optical cavities - a phenomenon traditionally viewed as detrimental but increasingly recognized as a versatile tool for quantum light manipulation. We present a perturbation-theory-based approach to analyze GVD effects in a synchronously pumped dispersive cavity. By comparing perturbative solutions to rigorous steady-state results, we establish the validity region of the perturbative approach and assess its limitations in multimode systems. Our study identifies key parameters governing the breakdown of perturbation theory, such as mode order, dispersion strength, and cavity decay rates.

GREGORY A. BREIT

P. A. M. Dirac

Benjamin R. G. Johnson

Abstract The quantum theory of dispersion was an important conceptual advancement which led out of the crisis of the old quantum theory in the early 1920s and aided in the formulation of matrix mechanics in 1925. The theory of Charles Galton Darwin, often cited only for its reliance on the statistical conservation of energy, was a wave-based attempt to explain dispersion phenomena at a time between the theories of Ladenburg and Kramers. It contributed to future successes in quantum theory, such as the virtual oscillator, while revealing through its own shortcomings the limitations of the wave theory of light in the interaction of light and matter. After its publication, Darwin’s theory was widely discussed amongst his colleagues as the competing interpretation to Compton’s in X-ray scattering experiments. It also had a pronounced influence on John C. Slater, whose ideas formed the basis of the BKS theory.