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