What are some good modern Quantum Optics textbooks?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around recommendations for modern textbooks on Quantum Optics, with participants exploring what constitutes "modern" in this context and sharing their personal experiences and preferences regarding various texts.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that "modern" refers to textbooks published within the last ten years, highlighting advancements in the field.
  • One participant mentions their background in Quantum Field Theory in curved spacetime and expresses a need for recommendations suitable for students.
  • Another participant, while not an expert in quantum optics, shares their interest in AMO physics and recommends two textbooks: "Quantum Optics" by M. O. Scully and M. S. Zubairy and "Quantum Optics" by J. Garrison and R. Chiao.
  • Several participants mention additional textbooks, including "Elements of Quantum Optics" by Meystre & Sargent, "Fundamentals of Quantum Optics and Quantum Information" by Lambropoulos & Petrosyan, and "Quantum Optics" by Walls & Milburn.
  • One participant expresses excitement about the Garrison and Chiao book, noting its depth in discussing second quantization of the electric field.
  • Another participant adds a recommendation for a book by Greenberg, Aspect, and Fabre.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants share various textbook recommendations, but there is no consensus on a definitive list of "modern" texts, and opinions on what constitutes modernity in the field vary.

Contextual Notes

Some participants indicate that staying current in quantum optics may require reading research papers rather than relying solely on textbooks.

LittleSchwinger
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What would people here say are good modern Quantum Optics textbooks?
 
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What does "modern" mean here?
 
I guess in the last ten years or so. I know there have been many advancements in the field recently.
 
LittleSchwinger said:
I know there have been many advancements in the field recently.
What is your background in this field?
 
malawi_glenn said:
What is your background in this field?
I lecture QFT in curved spacetime, General Relativity and Quantum Information. It's just been years since I read specific details about quantum optics. This is partially to recommend to students as well.
 
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I'm myself not an expert in quantum optics. I'm a theorist working on theoretical heavy-ion collisions, using relativistic many-body QFT in and out of equilibrium, transport theory, Fokker-Planck/Langevin description. I'm, however, also pretty fascinated by AMO physics, particularly about the solid science part concerning "quantum foundations", i.e., I'm trying to stay away from philosophy and look at the many experiments showing that there's just QT in the minimal statistical interpretation :-)).

That said, I like two quantum-optics book as my standard references:

M. O. Scully and M. S. Zubairy, Quantum Optics, Cambridge
University Press (1997).

J. Garrison and R. Chiao, Quantum optics, Oxford University
Press, New York (2008),
https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198508861.001.0001

To stay "modern" in this field, I guess one has to read research papers rather than textbooks :-).
 
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Thanks! They look lovely.
 
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I have these on my "virtual bookshelf":

Elements of Quantum Optics, Meystre & Sargent

Fundamentals of Quantum Optics and Quantum Information, Lambropoulos & Petrosyan

Quantum Optics, Walls & Milburn
 
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The only book I have on this topic is the introduction book by Fox (Oxford) which is pretty old, I think 2006?
 
  • #10
vanhees71 said:
J. Garrison and R. Chiao, Quantum optics, Oxford University
OMG this book is so eye opening 0o0, and practical!

P.S. it discusses second quantization of the electric field, waves more deeply compared to many other books, for instance, paraxial quantum optics!

P.S.S. I'm only writing this out of excitement, because I've found what I've been looking for (at a glance), but whether this book really satisfies anyone's purpose, that'll require more thorough reading.
 
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  • #12
vanhees71 said:
J. Garrison and R. Chiao, Quantum optics, Oxford University
Yes, I'll have to add to @yucheng 's excitement since I picked this up on Saturday. A fantastic book thus far. I'll say more when I finish the book after doing all the exercises.
 
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