Some Fundamental Questions of Coherence Theory (summary)

Soma, Gaius

John von Neumann

This introductory chapter provides a brief summary of the discussions in the succeeding chapters. Here, the new quantum mechanics has in recent years achieved in its essential parts what is presumably a definitive form: the so-called “transformation theory.” Therefore the principal emphasis shall be placed on the general and fundamental questions which have arisen in connection with this theory. In particular, the difficult problems of interpretation, many of which are even now not fully resolved, will be investigated in detail. In this connection, the relation of quantum mechanics to statistics and to the classical statistical mechanics is of special importance.

Jan Peřina

Roy J. Glauber

A summary of the pioneering work of Glauber in the field of optical coherence phenomena and photon statistics, this book describes the fundamental ideas of modern quantum optics and photonics in a tutorial style. It is thus not only intended as a reference for researchers in the field, but also to give graduate students an insight into the basic theories of the field. Written by the Nobel Laureate himself, the concepts described in this book have formed the basis for three further Nobel Prizes in Physics within the last decade

Salvatore Savasta, Omar Di Stefano, R. Girlanda

Summary form only given. The ultrafast nonlinear optical response of semiconductor-microcavities (SMCs) in the nonperturbative regime is attracting growing interest for exploring fundamental light-matter interactions in many-particle quantum systems, as well as for the future implementations of ultrafast photonic devices. In spite of many investigations, the coherent dynamics of excitonic nonlinear-response in the nonperturbative regime has not been fully understood. Open questions are how strong exciton-cavity coupling affects exciton-exciton (X-X) interactions, and how in turn the X-X correlation influences the nonlinear response of SmCs. We investigate these open questions and show that the nonperturbative regime provides an unprecedented tool for investigating four-particle correlations.We start from the equations for the third order exciton polarization and cavity field describing quantum optical effects and coherent nonlinear optics in SMCs, perform the semiclassical factorization and include multiple scattering processes.

Peter E. Gordon