Quantum optics Definition and 94 Threads

A. Neumaier submitted a new PF Insights post Vacuum Fluctuations in Experimental Practice Continue reading the Original PF Insights Post.

What is the difference between two single-photon Fock states ##|1\rangle |1\rangle## and one two-photon Fock state ##|2\rangle## (all in the same mode)? In both cases the mean photon number is 2. How do we distinguish them experimentally?

Why do some photonic crystals show metamaterial property?

What extra math courses should an undergrad take (or self-study) if they want to go into Quantum Optics or Condensed Matter theory? I've already taken calculus, linear algebra, ODEs, PDEs, and complex analysis (I will also be doing a second course on linear algebra in two months time).

I understand that otical bistability only occurs in a specific parameter regime defined by the bimodial leaf, but I have read that bistability originates from highly non linear dynamics of the system. As we are dealing with a qubit in a cavity that is being driven so things become non-trivial...

I understand that Wigner function is a quasi-probability distibution as it can take negative values, but in quantum optics I see that the Q function is mentioned as often. So what is the difference between the Q function and the Wigner Function?

From the reading I have done: In the presence of a drive, which is described by an addition term in the Jaynes-Cummings Hamiltonian, the Hamiltonian cannot be solved analytically. The dynamics of the system become non-trivial, with the behaviour depending on the specic parameter regime. So, the...

I'm halfway through my junior year and I'm hoping to do Quantum Optics or Particle Physics in graduate school (I'm doing the recommended courses for both since I'm still undecided). Besides the math required from the physics major (ie. Calculus, linear algebra, ODEs, PDEs, complex analysis)...

Hi guys, I'm trying to understand why does the amplitude of the electric field operator in a cavity is fixed at \left ( \displaystyle\frac{\hbar\omega}{\epsilon_{0}V} \right )^\frac{1}{2} Every book I read says it is a normalization factor... but, normalizing an operator?, what is the meaning...

I see lots of scientists study photon blockade and anti bunching effect. It confuses me so much that even though anti bunching and photon blocked are observed. But in what way the study of these two effects would affect any fields of our world, or the scientific research?

a In the formula above, on the left hand side, ρ(0) is a system's density operator in its initial state. a is the annihilator operator of the system, and a+ is the create operator of the system. ρss is the system's density operator in its steady state. But I don't understand why this formula...

[FONT=Arial]Why the plots of a second-order intensity correlation function appear both Bunching and Antibunching? I thought only anti bunching would occur, because the system is a quantum-sized system and all the phenomena happened in a microscopic way. Why bunching effect still happens in a...

Does entropy increase during spontaneous emission? If not, how is the information about the emitted photon mode encoded into the initial state of the atom (and/or environment)? If so, where does the extra information come from?

Hi everybody, In Robert W. Boyd's book "Nonlinear Optics", the quantum treatment of the nonlinear optical susceptibility lead to the next expression, for the second order case: \chi^{(2)}_{ijk}(\omega_{\sigma},\omega_q,\omega_p)=\frac{N}{\hbar^2} P_F\sum_{mn}...

I read this article, and I'm confused about several things. http://scitation.aip.org/content/aip/magazine/physicstoday/article/57/5/10.1063/1.1768672 Apparently, light can have orbital angular momentum as well as spin. But I don't see how this is possible, at least in vacuum. Is this in vacuum...

I'm a beginner in quantum optics. I always become confusing when the material's refractive index is complex. This time is about the photonic density of states. We know that if the material is not absorbing or dissipative, meaning the refractive index is a real number, the local photonic density...

This paper experimentally simulates Closed Timelike Curves (CTC) through quantum optics experiment. Since I have no experience/background in this, I found it hard to understand how exactly the CTC is implemented in the circuit. [Note: I do understand QM, so no need to explain this].

I'm currently a chemistry major (senior), but I intend to go to graduate school for physics, so quantum optics lab would me more useful to me than materials chemistry lab. I emailed the physics counselor (since the class is restricted to physics majors) and she said that it would be to...

Homework Statement I've been reading through Quantum Optics by Scully and Zubairy and have been stuck in section 6.2 getting from the definition of the atomic inversion given by equation (6.2.20, pg 199) W(t)=\sum_{n}\left[|c_{a,n}(t)|^2-|c_{b,n}(t)|^2\right] to the atomic inversion for the...

Hi! I'm an Italian student. I I would like to became an experimental quantum optics. In particular I'm interested in Bose-Einstein condensate. I must decide where do my thesis. Can sameone help me? Thank you so much.

I was wondering if anyone could suggest a good quantum optics book. I know Quantum at the liboff text level. I am not sure if the wolf and born texts are too advanced for me, since I do not have the book, and it has a reputation for intense mathematical rigor. I appreciate the recommendations.

Searching for free Quantum Optic tutorials came up with the following. Any other suggestions? http://iftia9.univ.gda.pl/~sjk/QO-SK.pdf http://physics.stfx.ca/~pmarzlin/lectures/phys673-winter07/marzlin-phys673-2007.pdf http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/~jmjk/keeling/teaching/quantum-optics.pdf...

"Quantum Optics," by Scully and Zubairy, attempts to explain the natural line width of an emitting atomic ensemble (in a resonant cavity with leakage) using random spontaneous emission events of the atoms (which in turn is due to interactions with the vacuum field). The basic idea and...

I would like to open this new topic to continue discussions on single photons which turned up in several other topics, but were a bit out of place there. So here the discussion continues. The first two quotes were basically about coincidence counting, photon statistics and the HBT-experiment...

Hi, I am a graduate student with a background more oriented in high energy physics and cosmology but switching to light and matter interaction, more specifically cavity QED and quantum optics. I need to have a working knowledge on those topics, being able to read state of the art articles and...

I had a discussion with a professor and it was suggested that I take Quantum Optics this coming fall. I already have a full course load with 3 physics classes (Electrodynamics, Modern Physics (general), and math for physicists) and one required course (comparative religions). It was suggested...

I recently got interested in some aspects of quantum optics and have a basic question. There is an uncertainty relation concerning the phase and the particle number of a mode. How is this phase observable defined? Where can I read about such basic concepts without dwelling deeply into higher...

So, I am a freshman signing up for classes next year. I have only taken Physics I - Mechanics, and I am done with Calc III, and I have the opportunity to take a lab course on quantum optics. I am obviously not very prepared, but I have been exposed to surface level quantum concepts quite a bit...

quantum optics is a reference to a "c-number" Hi In my lecture notes on quantum optics is a reference to a "c-number" electric field, and it is stated that, since it is a c-number, there is no corresponding Hamiltonian. As far as I have understood, a c-number is a classical value of some...

Hi. Was wondering if anyone could recommend some good introductory quantum optics textbooks? I have a good grounding in quantum mechanics, but have never looked at quantum optics. Basically my problem is that I am doing my project work in this field(to start in a couple of months) and have...

Homework Statement http://quantum.leeds.ac.uk/~almut/section2.pdf Please note i am referring to the above notes I basically don't get how the maths works to get (eq(25))(eq(22))(eq(24)) = eq(26) am i missing something interms of the commutator relations ? Homework Equations The Attempt at a...

Im a undergrad here and going to finish my last 2 years of classes. Now I really have to look at what grad school programs are offered at different UCs. The problem is that I want to do something in Quantum Optics which is somewhere under experimental quantum physics, but as I look for it almost...

Hi Classically, we can interpret the coherence functions (1st order) by using the definition of visibility, i.e., when there is complete coherence, the visibily of a fringe is maximum, and when the is complete incoherence, the visibility of a fringe is minimum. Can one make the same...

In quantum optics, I've been looking at how one can show electromagnetic field is equivalent to a harmonic oscillator. They give the E field as, in one dimension: E_x (x,t) = A . cos(wt) . sin(kz) where the symbols have their usual meanings. A is given as SQRT[2w^2 / Ve]...

Quantum optics, 2 qubit gates acting on 2 qubits - cannot be factorized?? Hi, I'm struggling to understand why two qubit gates acting on two qubits cannot be factorized, i.e. G12 \neq G1 \otimes G2, where G1 acts on qubit 1 only and G2 acts on qubit 2 only.

I don't profess of a knowledge of QED, and am in fact incredibly ignorant of its formulation and nuances, however I do understand that its never been refuted and is the crown jewel of physical models. So I will take it as fact for this post. What confuses me, is that in quantum mechanics...

Hi all. What topics do you find exciting in quantum optics? The reason why I am asking that I have to do an essay about a subject in quantum optics, and I would like to get a feel of the different topics in this area. I have recently heard of scientists who have succeeded in transferring 1...

If you have interest in quantum optics,and you have aleady taken quantum mechanics course,try this . http://info.phys.unm.edu/~ideutsch/Classes/Phys566F08/index.htm#schedule

I'm interested in both, getting ready to apply to graduate school - particle and nuclear physics is incredibly interesting to me, but also I am writing my UG thesis on the Jaynes-Cummings model in optics. The main questions I have as I try to decide would be: 1) How important is it to be...

In quantum optics, I hear talking about a Fock state as a state with a fixed number of particles and indeterminate phase. What are they talking about? What type of light is that? Does having indeterminate phase mean that we cannot predict the phase (therefore the instantaneous amplitude) of...

Hi, I just started my PhD in quantum optics/QIP and I was wondering if anyoen knew of a good book on quantum optics that explains things well especially the subject of photon statistics. Thanks

The Hanbury Brown Twiss effect, aka the photon bunching effect, states that photons (from a thermal or coherent source) arrive in pairs instead of individually. The experimental setup consists of having a source go through a 50-50 beam splitter, where one path goes through a variable time...

Hi, I'm in the third year of my undergraduate studies - physics - and trying to begin with some research. I am really interested in quantum optics - and rather experimental than theoretical. There is a center for quantum information at my university, which has a really good reputation, but...

http://nobelprize.org/physics/laureates/2005/index.html Glauber, Hall and Haensch. Glauber for his quantum optics, the two others for their contribution to spectroscopy.