Quantum and Classical Electromagnetic Interaction with Matter
APPHY 216
Subject & Catalog Number
Course Information
Description
The course covers the interaction of quantized atoms with classical and quantized electromagnetic fields, introducing basic concepts such as coherent Rabi transitions versus rate-equation dynamics, stimulated and spontaneous transitions, and energy and phase relaxations. These topics will be studied using standard quantum-dynamics tools, together with methods such as Bloch, Feynman-Bloch, and Jaynes-Cummings formalisms. These concepts and methods will then be used to study a range of applications of atom-field interactions, including nuclear magnetic resonance, molecular-beam and paramagnetic masers, passive and active atomic clocks, dynamic nuclear polarization, pulse-sequence techniques for coherent manipulation of quantum states, laser oscillators, cavity quantum electrodynamics, and circuits for quantum information processing.
Recommended Prep
Undergraduate-level electromagnetism and quantum mechanics are recommended.
Available for Harvard Cross Registration
