Elements of Quantum Optics

This textbook gives a broad coverage of the basic elements necessary to understand and carry out research in laser physics and quantum optics. It presents a variety of theoretical tools as well as important results for two-level and semiconductor media, many of which could only be found in the original literature or in specialized monographs up to now. An important feature of the text is that it reveals the close connection between many seemingly unrelated or only distantly related topics, such as probe absorption, four-wave mixing, optical instabilities, resonance fluorescence, and squeezing. The introductory chapters deal with selected aspects of classical radiation theory, classical nonlinear optics, and quantum mechanics. Then semiclassical light-matter interactions involved in laser theory, optical bistability and instabilities, saturation spectroscopy, phase conjugation, and coherent transients are discussed. The final chapters treat aspects of quantum optics that require the quantization of the electromagnetic field, including spontaneous emission, resonance fluorescence, "nonclassical fields" and squeezing, and the quantum theory of the laser. The second edition contains a significant number of changes designed to improve clarity. A new section has been added on the theory of resonant light pressure and the manipulation of atomic trajectories by light. The photon-echo problem has been reformulated to reveal its relationship to four-wave mixing.