Physics 481/690: Quantum Optics

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Fall 2015 Course schedule

Week

Material covered

Homework assignment

Aug. 26

Electromagnetic waves: from classical to quantum

 

Aug. 31, Sept 2

Quantization of e-m field (8/26, 8/31)

Coherent states (9/2)

 

Sept 7, 9

Simple quantum states of light

Squeezed states (9/7)

Thermal states (9/9)

Derivation of thermal states from entropy maximization ( from "Essential Quantum Optics" by Ulf Leonhardt

Problem set 1 (due 9/7)

Solutions

Sept 14,16

Beamsplitter (9/14)

Hong-Ou_Mendel original paper

Interferometers (9/16)

Lev Vaidman's paper on interaction-free measurements

 

Sept 21, 23

Detection of quantum states

Photodetectors (9/21)

Homodine detection (9/23)

Problem set 2 (due 9/21)

Solutions

Sept 28, 30

Quantum coherence function

Classical first-order coherence (9/28)

Quantum first-order coherence (9/30)

Oct 5, 7

Quantum coherence function

Quantum eraser (10/5)

Second-order coherence function (10/7)

 

Oct 14

Fall break

Atom-light interactions: semiclassical theory (10/16)

 Problem set 3 (due 10/14)

Solutions

Oct 19, 21

Atom-light interactions: semiclassical two-level system (10/19)

Midterm (Oct. 21)

 

Oct 26, 28

Atom-light interactions: full quantum description

part 1 (10/26)    part 2 (10/28)

 

Nov 2, 4

Atom-light interactions part 3 (11/2)

Spontaneous emission (11/4)

 Problem set 4 (due 11/2)

Solutions

Nov 9, 11

Entanglement

Sources of entangled photons (Nov. 9)

EPR paradox and Bell's inequalities (Nov. 11)

 

Nov 16, 18

Entanglement-enhanced measurements (Nov. 16)

Interaction-free measurements (Nov. 18)

 Problem set 5 (due 11/16)

Solutions

Nov 23

Quantum teleportation

Thanksgiving break

 

Nov 30, Dec 2

Quantum information

 Problem set 6 (due 11/30)

Dec 9, 2-5pm

Final presentations