Part I: Quantum Optics
Quantum optics explores the quantum nature of light — from the quantization of the electromagnetic field and photon number states to non-classical correlations and entanglement. These concepts underpin modern quantum information science and precision measurement.
Part Overview
Light behaves as both a wave and a collection of discrete quanta — photons. Quantum optics provides the theoretical framework for understanding photon statistics, squeezed and entangled states, and the fundamental limits set by quantum mechanics on optical measurements.
Key Concepts
- • Quantization of the electromagnetic field and vacuum fluctuations
- • Fock states, coherent states, and squeezed states
- • Photon statistics and the second-order correlation function g²(0)
- • Hanbury Brown-Twiss effect and photon antibunching
- • Bell states, CHSH inequality, and quantum teleportation
- • Applications in quantum key distribution and metrology
3 chapters | Foundation of modern quantum information
Chapters
Chapter 1: Quantum Description of Light
Quantization of the electromagnetic field, photon number states |n〉, coherent states |α〉, vacuum fluctuations, and the Casimir effect.
Chapter 2: Non-Classical Light States
Photon statistics — Poissonian, sub-Poissonian, and super-Poissonian. The second-order correlation function g²(0), Hanbury Brown-Twiss experiment, and photon antibunching.
Chapter 3: Entanglement & Quantum Information
Bell states, CHSH inequality, EPR paradox, quantum teleportation, and quantum key distribution. The foundations of quantum communication and computing.