Physics 566 Fall 1999

Quantum Optics

University of New Mexico

Department of Physics and Astronomy

 

 

 
Instructor: Prof. I. H. Deutsch
ideutsch@tangelo.phys.unm.edu
 
Teaching Assistant: Rene Stock

 

Quantum optics is a broad and varied subject which deals with the study, control, and manipulation of quantum coherence associated with electromagnetic fields. This includes nonclassical optical media, the basic interaction of photons and atoms, and the nonclassical nature of the electromagnetic field itself. In the last couple of decades, quantum optics has developed into the natural arena for experimental tests on the foundations of quantum mechanics, especially in the context of open, nonequilibrium quantum systems. Most recently developments in theory and experiment have led to the possibility of applying the coherent control of quantum optical systems to perform completely new information-processing paradigms such as quantum cryptography and quantum computation.
This course will develop the theoretical tools necessary to analyze these problems, including the optical Bloch equations, density matrix equation and representations (master equation, Langevin, Fokker Planck) , quantum trajectories and continuous measurement, and the quantization of the electromagnetic field. These theoretical methods will be applied to contemporary research problems including:
 
* Laser spectroscopy and coherent control
* Coherence in multilevel atom systems
* Nonclassical light
* Cavity QED
* Atomic traps
* Two photon interferometry

 

On this page:


Quantum_Optics_Map.pdf

 

 


General Information (dowload pdf)

 

"Recommended" Texts:

* "Atom-Photon interactions"- Cohen-Tannoudji,

* "Quantum Optics" - Scully and Zubairy,

* "Quantum Optics" - Walls and Milburn

We will not be following any of these texts directly . They all have strengths in different areas and are good to have on your bookshelf.

 

Other Texts:

Recent books (published within the last ten years)

* Elements of Quantum Optics, by P. Meystre and M. Sargent

* Photons and Atoms: Introduction to Quantum Electrodynamics,

by Claude Cohen-Tannoudji et al.

* Optical Coherence and Quantum Optics, by L. Mandel and E. Wolf

* Lasers, by P. Milonni and J. H. Eberly

* Quantum Noise, by C. Gardiner (alsoHandbook of Stochastic Methods)

* Statistical Methods in Quantum Optics 1, by H. J. Carmichael

Old standards

* Optical Resonance and Two-Level Atoms , by Allen and J. H. Eberly

* Quantum Statistical Properties of Radiation, by W. H. Louisell

* Quantum Properties or Radiation, R. Loudon

* Laser Theory, by H. Haken

 

Grading:

· Problem Sets (~4-5 assignments) 30%

· Final Projects 70%

 

· Problem sets will be available on the web, about once every other week. Generally assignments will be due on Friday in the TA's mailbox by 5:00 PM.

 


Tentative Syllabus (dowload pdf)

 

I Foundations

A. Review of Quantum Mechanics: Hilbert space, operators, states, time evolution.

B. Two level systems - Pauli algebra, Bloch-sphere, Rabi flopping.

 

II. Optical resonance for two level atoms

A. Atom-photon interaction in electric dipole approximation.

B. Pseudo-spin formulation.

C. Inhomogeneous broadening - Photon echo.

D. Density matrix formulation.

E. Phenomelogical damping - master equation and rate equations.

 

III. Three level systems

A. Raman transitions - effective two level system

B. Coherent population trapping, EIT, lasing without inversion, etc.

C. Quantum jumps and the "Quantum Zeno Paradox"

 

IV. The electromagnetic vacuum

A. Quantization of the electromagnetic field.

B. Spontaneous emission.

C. Resonance fluorescence and dressed-states: Mollow triplet.

 

V. Nonclassical light

A. Coherent states as quasi-classical states.

B. Jaynes-Cummings model ­ Vacuum Rabi splitting, collapse and revival.

C. Theory of partial coherence - Glauber correlation functions

D. Photon counting statistics

E. Squeezed states

 

VII. Theory of dissipation in quantum mechanics

A. System reservoir interaction.

B. Derivation of the Linblad master equation in the Born-Markov approximation.

C. Damped two-level atom and simple harmonic oscillators.

D. Heisenberg formulation - Langevin equations

 

VII Theoretical methods for solving the master equation

A Phase space methods - Quasiprobability distributions, P,Q, Wigner functions, Fokker-Planck Equation.

B. Quantum trajectories - Stochastic wave function techniques.

C. Continuous measurement and quantum feedback.

 

VIII Experimental paradigms

A. Cavity QED

B. Ion Traps

C. Parametric down conversion and correlated photon interferometry

 

IX Experimental tests of foundations of quantum mechanics

A. Decoherence and quantum measurement

B. EPR and Bells inequalities

C. Test of complementary - the quantum eraser

D. Quantum-state reconstruction

E. Quantum information


 

Lecture Schedule

Aug. 24

Overview of Class: Review of Quantum mechanics

 Aug. 26

 Two level systems - Paul algebra, Bloch-sphere

 Aug. 31

Rabi flopping, magnetic resonance

 

 Sept. 2

Atom-field interaction in dipole approximation. Two-level atoms - Optical-Bloch picture 

 

Sept. 7

Phenomenological decay terms: T1 and T2 - master equation. Bloch equations vs. rate equations

 

Sept. 9

Density operator formulation - mixed states 

Notes 

Sept. 14

More density operators - Partial trace and entanglement

Sept. 16

Need for quantum field - are there photons?

Review of SHO operator algebra.

Notes  

Sept. 21

Intro field theory 

Quantization of the electromagnetic field

Notes

 Sept. 23

Quantization encore

 

 Sept. 28

Interaction of atoms and quantized field - Jaynes Cummings vs. irreversable

 

Sept. 30

Spontaneous emission -Wigner-Weiskoff

 

Oct. 5

Nonclassical light -

Coherent states as quasiclassical states

 

Oct. 7

More on coherent states

 

Oct. 12

Resonance Flouresecence - Mollow triplet

 

 Oct. 14

Fall Break

 

Oct. 21

Glauber theory of photo-detection - photon counting

 

 Oct. 28

 Photon counting statistics

 

 Oct. 29

 Theory of optical coherence - correlation functions

 

 Nov. 2

Quantum theory of coherence - coherence and photon statistics

Introduction to quasiprobabilty theory-Coherent state representations

 

 Nov. 4

Quasi probability theory-

Wigner, Glauber-P, Q functions

 

Nov. 9

Squeezed states - General properties

 

Nov. 11

Squeezed states - production and detection

 

Nov. 16

Parameteric downconversion - correlated photons

 

Nov. 18

System-reservoir interaction,

Derivation of the Lindblad master equation in Born-Markov

Lecture

Notes 

 Nov. 23

Examples - Damped two-level atom, damped SHO. Fokker-Planck Equation

 

Nov. 25

THANKSGIVING

 

Nov. 30

Heisenberg picture - Langevin Equations

Fluctuation-Dissipation theorem

 

Dec. 2

Stochastic methods - quantum trajectories

 

 Dec. 7

Measurement theory and decoherence

 

Dec. 9

Quantum Optical Implementations of Quantum Computing

 


 

Problem Sets

 

 Problem Set #1

Questions

Solutions

 

  Problem Set #2

Questions

Solutions

 

  Problem Set #3

Questions

Solutions

 

 Problem Set #4

Questions

Solutions

 

 


Final Project (download pdf)

 

 

As a final project fro the class, you are required to undertake independent research in an area of quantum optics of interest to you. Possible topics are listed below, though you may propose something else with my approval. For each topic, you are asked to research both the theoretical as well as experimental aspects, and write a review article, no longer than 10 pages, 1.5 spaced, including figures and references, in the style of the APS journal, Physical Review A (see their web site for details on the format). Your paper will be "refereed" by an anonymous student in the class as well as myself. You must modify the paper in accordance with our criticisms and "resubmit" until the referees are satisfied.

 

Target Dates:

· Submission of abstract of project: Tues. Oct. 26

· Abstract accepted or modified: Thurs Oct. 28

· Submission of first draft: Tues. Nov. 23

· Referee Comments due: Tues. Nov. 30

· Re-submission: Tues. Dec. 7

· Final Referee decision: Thurs Dec. 9

 

 

TOPICS

 

A. Laser spectroscopy

1. Atomic clocks.

2. Electromagetically Induced Transparency (EIT).

3. Lasing without inversion.

4. Resonance fluorescence for multiple atoms (super-radiance/ super-fluorescence).

 

B. Atom cooling and trapping

1. Ion trapping and laser cooling.

2. Laser cooling and trapping of neutrals - Magnetic, Optical, and Magneto-Optic Trap (MOT).

3. Sisyphus cooling and optical lattices.

4. Atom interferometry.

5. Bose-Einstein Condensation of alkali gases and atom lasers.

 

C. Cavity QED

1. Microwaves and Rydberg atoms.

2. Optical Cavity QED and alkali atoms.

3. Modification of spontaneous emission for atoms in cavities.

4. VCELS and cavity QED in solids.

5. Micromasers (with atoms) / microlasers (in solids).

6. Photonic bandgap materials as optical cavities for QED.

 

D. Nonclassical light

1. Production of squeezed states via four-wave mixing, parametric oscillation,

second harmonic generation.

2. Correlated two-photon production via parametric downconversion.

3. Two photon-interferometry.

4. Nonclassical light in atom-photon interactions

(atoms in squeezed light, nonclassical light in resonance fluorescence).

5. Noiseless amplification.

6. Quantum optics of optical solitons.

 

E. Quantum Information Processing

1. Quantum Cryptography.

2. Quantum teleportation and dense-coding.

3. Nonclassical atomic motion engineering with trapped ions.

4. Quantum computing with trapped ions.

5. Quantum computing with cavity QED.

6. Quantum computing in optical lattices.

7. Quantum state tomography and state measurement.

 

F. Tests of the foundations of quantum mechanics

1. EPR and Bell's inequalities.

2. Complementarity and "which way" experiments - The quantum eraser.

3. Quantum jumps and the "Quantum Zeno Effect".

 

G. Quantum Measurement Foundations

1. Quantum nondemolition measurement.

2. Continuous measurement and quantum feedback.

3. Stochastic wave function methods and quantum measurement.

4. Decoherence and the quantum-classical transition - theory and experiment.

 

Final Project Publication
Electronic Journal - Reviews of Quantum Optics, Vol. 1


Links

Quantum optics groups