PHY 7097: Quantum Optics

This course is taught by Associate Prof. Guido Mueller

Office: NPB-2370, Labs: 1021, 1022

Lecture Room: NPB1200 

Lecture Periods: 8th (3pm) MWF

Office hours: Wd 10am (or just come to my office or send email and we schedule something)

Email: mueller at phys.ufl.edu

Tel: 352-392-8521

Because of some travel on my part, we will have make-up classes on Friday mornings typically between 9:30-noon in the IFT room (if available).

Course description:

The name Quantum Optics suggests that this could be the science of quantized electro-magnetic radiation. As such it might focus on light and photons alone. But this would be a very narrow description of Quantum Optics and would leave out most of the exciting theoretical and experimental developments in this area which led to Nobel prizes in 1997, 2001, and 2005.
Quantum Optics is the science of light and its interaction with matter which requires quantum mechanics to describe it appears to cover it better.
One of the features of modern quantum mechanics is that it is now possible to isolate and control the experiments so well that the measured data fit the theoretical predictions extremely well. Obviously, this has been made possible by the developments in laser technology. One of the great consequences of this success is that quantum optics experiments and their theoretical description offer unique opportunities to learn and understand quantum mechanics.

Material
This is the first time we offer this course and it is likely that we have to make adjustments during the semester. We will use Mark Fox: Quantum Optics: An Introduction (Oxford Master Series in Physics, 6) for the initial lectures and most of the homework assignments. This book is written for upper level undergraduate students and early graduate students. We will also use research papers for more in depth study of specific topics and experimental techniques. This is not a theory course but a course that should give you an overview of Quantum Optics including many of their experimental techniques.
Any discussion of quantum optics requires a fair amount of optics such as interference, diffraction, spatial laser modes, and nonlinear optics. Although we will scan over the basics in this course, a fairly solid background in optics at the level of the undergrad optics class or experience with lasers and optics will be helpful. A very good book which will be useful well beyond this course is Optics, Light, and Lasers by Dieter Meschede (Wiley-VCH, 2007). And then there are the classics: Lasers by Anthony Siegman, Optics by Eugene Hecht, and Principles of Optics by Born and Wolf.

Prerequisites
The course is intended for graduate students but senior undergraduate students might also participate. The students should have taken at least two semesters of Quantum Mechanics at the undergraduate level or one semester at the graduate level.
The student should also be familiar with Fourier Transformations and Linear Algebra.

Students are expected to regularly attend classes, since material outside of the textbook will be covered. In other words, unless you are really really bright, you will not do well when you don't attend classes and participate in the discussion. And if you are really really bright, you might want to come and lead the discussions.

Grading:
The final grade will be based on two in-class exams (15% each), a final exam (20%), homework (20%), In-class presentation(s) by each student (15%), and general participation in the In-class discussions (15%).
There will be approximately 12 homework assignments. Most problems will be from the textbook. The solutions of these problems are given at the end of the book. Homework will be graded on the coherence of presentation. Important details should be presented in an orderly fashion without the inclusion of irrelevant arguments or unproductive dead ends. 

Homework assignments will be posted here: Homework Assignments. Homeworks should be returned on time. Late HW will not be graded unless prior arrangements with me have been made.

Students should check the news page for announcements of schedule changes, exams and other news items related to the course.

A tentative schedule will be available at here . But this is only tentative; we will keep things flexible.

Additional notes:

Students who miss an exam with a valid excuse will be given a makeup later in the semester.

Students with disabilities: "Students requesting classroom accommodation must first register with the Dean of Students Office. The Dean of Students Office will provide documentation to the student who must then provide this documentation to the Instructor when requesting accommodation."

Academic Honesty:

Please review the University Policies on Academic Honesty.