Recommend good optical clock/cold atom/frequency comb book?

[TomServo]

I need to learn more about optical clocks, frequency combs, atom trapping, atom interferometry, etc., and I'm wondering if there are good books or review papers you recommend? The papers I'm reading can be hard to understand and often assume knowledge I don't have. I'm a grad student if that helps.

 

[DrClaude]

What is your background with respect to quantum optics?

 

[TomServo]

What is your background with respect to quantum optics?

Don't really have one, but I know several of Marlan Scully's current students if that helps. :D

 

[DrClaude]

You need to get a good basis in quantum optics if you want to tackle these subjects.

Considering that many of the topics you want to cover are quite new, you should go for a recently published book. Looking at my bookshelf, I suggest that you get a copy of Introduction to Quantum Optics by Grynberg, Aspect, and Fabre (Cambridge University Press, 2010)

 

[TomServo]

Thanks. I mainly need to learn about this stuff because I'm studying the use of cold atoms/optical clocks in gravity, so I'm *mainly* learning gravity.

 

[yoreh]

The best introductory book about all the topics you listed, expect the frequency comb, that I know of is ,,Laser Control of Atoms and Molecules'' by V.S. Lethokov. I'm not sure if there is any book specifically on frequency combs. You can try reading ,,Phase stabilization of ultrashort optical pulses'', S. T. Cundiff, Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, 35, R43, which gives a good introduction, specifically in Sec. 2, but keep in mind that the specific systems he describes are a bit dated. If you have questions about frequency combs or laser stabilization, you can ask here and I will try to answer.

 

[DrClaude]

The best introductory book about all the topics you listed, expect the frequency comb, that I know of is ,,Laser Control of Atoms and Molecules'' by V.S. Lethokov.

I have to disagree. I was very disappointed by Lethokov's book, which reads like a very long review article. Nothing much is actually explained in the book, and one has to constantly refer to the cited papers.

 

[TomServo]

I have to disagree. I was very disappointed by Lethokov's book, which reads like a very long review article. Nothing much is actually explained in the book, and one has to constantly refer to the cited papers.

Darn. Can you recommend another one then?

 

[DrClaude]

Darn. Can you recommend another one then?

I've looked through my bookshelf, and I'll really stick to my recommendation of Grynberg et al. As I said, the topics of interest to you are quite new, at the current frontier of research, and most of the books do not cover these newer areas. The Grynberg book will give you both a good introduction to basic quantum optics and discuss the topics of interest to you.