Mediaspace scheduled maintenance: Aug 25, 2026 07:00 - 12:00 AM. During this time, videos will be temporarily unavailable. Check status updates.

Lecture

Quantum Optics: Basics and Applications

Description

This lecture covers the quantization of the electromagnetic field, including Fock states, coherent states, and squeezed states. It also discusses measuring quantum states of light, atom-field interaction, and the historical development of quantum optics. The course delves into superconducting circuits, quantum measurements, and quantum non-demolition measurements. Students will explore the applications of quantum optics, cavity quantum electrodynamics, and the transition from quantum to classical mechanics.

Official source

Related concepts (32)

Quantum optics

Quantum optics is a branch of atomic, molecular, and optical physics dealing with how individual quanta of light, known as photons, interact with atoms and molecules. It includes the study of the particle-like properties of photons. Photons have been used to test many of the counter-intuitive predictions of quantum mechanics, such as entanglement and teleportation, and are a useful resource for quantum information processing. Light propagating in a restricted volume of space has its energy and momentum quantized according to an integer number of particles known as photons.

Quantum mechanics

Quantum mechanics is a fundamental theory in physics that provides a description of the physical properties of nature at the scale of atoms and subatomic particles. It is the foundation of all quantum physics including quantum chemistry, quantum field theory, quantum technology, and quantum information science. Classical physics, the collection of theories that existed before the advent of quantum mechanics, describes many aspects of nature at an ordinary (macroscopic) scale, but is not sufficient for describing them at small (atomic and subatomic) scales.

Measurement in quantum mechanics

In quantum physics, a measurement is the testing or manipulation of a physical system to yield a numerical result. A fundamental feature of quantum theory is that the predictions it makes are probabilistic. The procedure for finding a probability involves combining a quantum state, which mathematically describes a quantum system, with a mathematical representation of the measurement to be performed on that system. The formula for this calculation is known as the Born rule.

Introduction to quantum mechanics

Quantum mechanics is the study of matter and its interactions with energy on the scale of atomic and subatomic particles. By contrast, classical physics explains matter and energy only on a scale familiar to human experience, including the behavior of astronomical bodies such as the moon. Classical physics is still used in much of modern science and technology. However, towards the end of the 19th century, scientists discovered phenomena in both the large (macro) and the small (micro) worlds that classical physics could not explain.

Quantum electrodynamics

In particle physics, quantum electrodynamics (QED) is the relativistic quantum field theory of electrodynamics. In essence, it describes how light and matter interact and is the first theory where full agreement between quantum mechanics and special relativity is achieved. QED mathematically describes all phenomena involving electrically charged particles interacting by means of exchange of photons and represents the quantum counterpart of classical electromagnetism giving a complete account of matter and light interaction.

Related lectures (37)

Quantum Optics I: Quantized Harmonic Oscillator

Covers the quantization of the harmonic oscillator and its implications on the electromagnetic field, including vacuum energy effects.

Classical and Quantum Mechanics: Foundations and Applications

Explores classical and quantum mechanics, covering observables, momentum, Hamiltonian, and the Schrödinger equation, as well as quantum chemistry and the Schrödinger's cat experiment.

Jarzynski Equation and Quantum Circuits

Explores the Jarzynski equation and the quantization of electrical circuits in quantum harmonic oscillators.

Quantum Entanglement: From Einstein to Bell

Delves into the journey from Einstein and Bell's debates to the practical applications of quantum entanglement, including quantum teleportation and key distribution.

Polarisation of Photons