This Third Edition, like its two predecessors, provides a detailed
account of the basic theory needed to understand the properties of light
and its interactions with atoms, in particular the many nonclassical
effects that have now been observed in quantum-optical experiments. The
earlier chapters describe the quantum mechanics of various optical
processes, leading from the classical representation of the
electromagnetic field to the quantum theory of light. The later chapters
develop the theoretical descriptions of some of the key experiments in
quantum optics. Over half of the material in this Third Edition is new.
It includes topics that have come into prominence over the last two
decades, such as the beamsplitter theory, squeezed light, two-photon
interference, balanced homodyne detection, travelling-wave attenuation
and amplification, quantum jumps, and the ranges of nonlinear optical
processes important in the generation of nonclassical light. The book is
written as a
textbook, with the treatment as a whole appropriate for graduate or
postgraduate students, while earlier chapters are also suitable for
final-year undergraduates. Over 100 problems help to intensify the
understanding of the material presented.
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