This book describes the use of lasers in spectroscopy, the phenomenon of optical bistability, the need for a quantum theory of light, and includes a discussion of how lasers may be used to test the basic formulation of quantum mechanics. Each review is designed to be comprehensible to non-specialists in the field, yet detailed enough to provide a useful background to the prospective specialist.
This book describes the use of lasers in spectroscopy, the phenomenon of optical bistability, the need for a quantum theory of light, and includes a discussion of how lasers may be used to test the basic formulation of quantum mechanics. Each review is designed to be comprehensible to non-specialists in the field, yet detailed enough to provide a useful background to the prospective specialist.
This book attempts to bridge the enormous gap between introductory quantum mechanics and the research front of modern optics and scientific fields that make use of light in one step. Hence, while it is suitable as a reference for the specialist in quantum optics, it also targets the nonspecialists from other disciplines who need to understand light and its uses in research. With a unique approach it introduces a single analytic tool, namely the density matrix, to analyze complex optical phenomena encountered in traditional as well as cross‐disciplinary research. It moves swiftly in a tight sequence from elementary to sophisticated topics in quantum optics, including laser tweezers, laser cooling, coherent population transfer, optical magnetism, electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT), squeezed light, and cavity quantum electrodynamics (QED). A systematic approach is used that starts with the simplest systems – stationary two‐level atoms – then introduces atomic motion, adds more energy levels, and moves on to discuss first‐, second‐, and third‐order coherence effects that are the basis for analyzing new optical phenomena in incompletely characterized systems. Unconventional examples and original problems are used to engage even seasoned researchers in exploring a mathematical methodology with which they can tackle virtually any new problem involving light. An extensive bibliography makes connections with mathematical techniques and subject areas which can extend the benefit of each section to guide readers further. The steady progression from “simple” to “elaborate” makes the book accessible not only to students from traditional subject areas that make use of light (physics, chemistry, electrical engineering, and materials science), but also to researchers from the “hyphenated” subjects of modern science and engineering: the biophysicists using mechanical effects of light, photochemists developing coherent control for rare species detection, biomedical engineers imaging through scattering media, electromechanical engineers working on molecular design of materials for electronics and space, electrical and computer engineers developing schemes for quantum computation, cryptography, frequency references, and so on. To try to identify techniques and ideas that are universal enough to be applied across the bewildering landscape of research on intersecting boundaries of emerging modern disciplines is a great challenge of out time. “Lectures on Light” offers selected insights on quantum dynamics and quantum theory of light for exactly this purpose.
This book provides a broad introductory survey of this remarkable field, aiming to establish and clearly differentiate its physical principles, and also to provide a snapshot portrait of many of the most prominent current applications. Primary emphasis is placed on developing an understanding of the fundamental photonic origin behind the mechanism that operates in each type of effect. To this end, the first few chapters introduce and develop core theory, focusing on the physical significance and source of the most salient parameters, and revealing the detailed interplay between the key material and optical properties. Where appropriate, both classical and photonic (quantum mechanical) representations are discussed. The number of equations is purposely kept to a minimum, and only a broad background in optical physics is assumed. With copious examples and illustrations, each of the subsequent chapters then sets out to explain and exhibit the main features and uses of the various distinct types of mechanism that can be involved in optical nanomanipulation, including some of the very latest developments. To complete the scene, we also briefly discuss applications to larger, biological particles. Overall, this book aims to deliver to the non-specialist an amenable introduction to the technically more advanced literature on individual manipulation methods. Full references to the original research papers are given throughout, and an up-to-date bibliography is provided for each chapter, which directs the reader to other selected, more specialised sources.
This concise and accessible book provides a detailed introduction to the fundamental principles of atomic physics at an undergraduate level. Concepts are explained in an intuitive way and the book assumes only a basic knowledge of quantum mechanics and electromagnetism. With a compact format specifically designed for students, the first part of the book covers the key principles of the subject, including the quantum theory of the hydrogen atom, radiative transitions, the shell model of multi-electron atoms, spin-orbit coupling, and the effects of external fields. The second part provides an introduction to the four key applications of atomic physics: lasers, cold atoms, solid-state spectroscopy and astrophysics. This highly pedagogical text includes worked examples and end of chapter problems to allow students to test their knowledge, as well as numerous diagrams of key concepts, making it perfect for undergraduate students looking for a succinct primer on the concepts and applications of atomic physics.
The field of quantum optics has witnessed significant theoretical and experimental developments in recent years. This book provides an in-depth and wide-ranging introduction to the subject, emphasising throughout the basic principles and their applications. The book begins by developing the basic tools of quantum optics, and goes on to show the application of these tools in a variety of quantum optical systems, including lasing without inversion, squeezed states and atom optics. The final four chapters are devoted to a discussion of quantum optical tests of the foundations of quantum mechanics, and to particular aspects of measurement theory. Assuming only a background of standard quantum mechanics and electromagnetic theory, and containing many problems and references, this book will be invaluable to graduate students of quantum optics, as well as to researchers in this field.
This established textbook provides an accessible but comprehensive introduction to the quantum nature of light and its interaction with matter. The field of quantum optics is covered with clarity and depth, from the underlying theoretical framework of field quantization, atom–field interactions, and quantum coherence theory, to important and modern applications at the forefront of current research such as quantum interferometry, squeezed light, quantum entanglement, cavity quantum electrodynamics, laser-cooled trapped ions, and quantum information processing. The text is suitable for advanced undergraduate and graduate students and would be an ideal main text for a course on quantum optics. This long-awaited second edition builds upon the success of the first edition, including many new developments in the field, particularly in the area of quantum state engineering. Additional homework problems have been added, and content from the first edition has been updated and clarified throughout.
Wigner's theorem is a fundamental part of the mathematical formulation of quantum mechanics. The theorem characterizes unitary and anti-unitary operators as symmetries of quantum mechanical systems, and is a key result when relating preserver problems to quantum mechanics. At the heart of this book is a geometric approach to Wigner-type theorems, unifying both classical and more recent results. Readers are initiated in a wide range of topics from geometric transformations of Grassmannians to lattices of closed subspaces, before moving on to a discussion of applications. An introduction to all the key aspects of the basic theory is included as are plenty of examples, making this book a useful resource for beginning graduate students and non-experts, as well as a helpful reference for specialist researchers.