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, emphasizing 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 discuss quantum optical tests of the foundations of quantum mechanics, and 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.

Review

."..Quantum Optics is very impressive and arguably the best book available for the reader who wants to get the leading edges of the field in the least amount of time." Physics Today

Book Description

An in-depth and wide-ranging introduction to the field of quantum optics.

Table of Contents

1. Quantum theory of radiation

2. Coherent and squeezed states of the radiation field

3. Incoherent states of the radiation field

4. Field-field and photon-photon correlation interferometry

5. Atom-field interaction - semiclassical theory

6. Atom-field interaction - quantum theory

7. Lasing without inversion and other effects of atomic coherence and interference

8. Quantum theory of damping - density operator and wave function approach

9. Quantum theory of damping - Heisenberg-Langevin approach

10. Resonance fluorescence

11. Quantum theory of laser - density operator approach

12. Quantum theory of laser - Heisenberg-Langevin approach

13. Theory of the micromaser

14. Correlated emission laser: concept, theory and analysis

15. Phase sensitivity in quantum optical systems: applications

16. Squeezing via non-linear optical processes

17. Atom optics

18. The EPR paradox, hidden variables and Bell's Theorem

19. Quantum non-demolition measurements

20. Quantum optical tests of complementarity

21. Two-photon interferometry and the quantum measurement problem, and more