Physics 581 Spring 2026

Quantum Optics II

Credit: P. Grangier, "Make It Quantum and Continuous", Science (Perspective) 332, 313 (2011)

University of New Mexico

Department of Physics and Astronomy

Instructor: Prof. Ivan H. Deutsch

Lectures: Tuesday and Thursday 11:00am-12:15pm, PAIS Room 1140

Problem Session: TBA

Teaching Assistants: I.A. Gunter and M. Raza

Quantum optics is a broad and varied subject that 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.  Quantum optics is the natural arena for experimental tests of the foundations of quantum mechanics and measurement, 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 communication and quantum computation.


Quantum Optics II (Physics 581)

- Quantum optical particles and waves (discrete and continuous variables)
- Foundations of entanglement and quantum maps
- Open quantum systems and decoherence
- Quantum trajectories and continuous measurement
- Fundamental paradigms in quantum optics (cavity QED, ion and neutral atom traps, entangled light)
- Applications in quantum information science (quantum communication, computation, metrology)

On this page:

• General Information
• Syllabus
• Lecture Schedule and Notes and Podcasts
• Problem Sets

General Information

"Recommended" Texts (none required):

* Quantum Optics - Scully and Zubairy,

* Quantum Optics, by R. Y. Chiao and J. C. Garrision

* Introduction to Quantum Optics: From the Semi-classical Approach to Quantized Light - Gryberg, Aspect, Fabre

* Quantum Optics, by M. Fox

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.

Grading:

* Problem Sets (5-6 assignments) 75%

* Final Project 25%

* Problem sets will be available on the web, about every other week. Generally assignments will be due Thursdays in DropBox.

Tentative Syllabus

  

Phys. 581: Quantum Optics II

I. Nonclassical Light

            A. Nonlinear optics and nonclassical light.

            B. Squeezed states.

            C. Homodyne detection.

            D. Phase space methods -- Quasiprobability distributions, P-Glauber, Q-Husimi, W-Wigner functions.

            E. Correlated twin photons.

II. Foundations

            A. Bipartite entanglement.

            B. EPR and Bell’s Inequalities, finite and infinite dimensional systems.

            C. Completely-positive map, Kraus operators, and POVMs.

 

III. Open quantum systems

            A. System-reservoir interactions.

            B. Born-Markoff approximation and the Lindblad Master Equation.

            C. Phase-space representation:  Fokker-Planck equation.

            D. Heisenberg-Langevin equation.

 

IV. Continuous measurement

            A. Quantum trajectories - different unravelings of the Master Equation.

            B. Quantum Monte-Carlo wave functions.

            C. The stochastic Schroedinger equation.

 

V. Applications in quantum information processing

            A. Quantum communication

            B. Quantum computation

            C. Quantum metrology

Problem Sets

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