The field of quantum optics has witnessed significant theoretical and experimental developments in recent years. This book provides an in-depth and wide-ranging introduction to the subject, emphasising throughout the basic principles and their applications. The book begins by developing the basic tools of quantum optics, and goes on to show the application of these tools in a variety of quantum optical systems, including lasing without inversion, squeezed states and atom optics. The final four chapters are devoted to a discussion of quantum optical tests of the foundations of quantum mechanics, and to particular aspects of measurement theory. Assuming only a background of standard quantum mechanics and electromagnetic theory, and containing many problems and references, this book will be invaluable to graduate students of quantum optics, as well as to researchers in this field.

Contents

1. Quantum theory of radiation; 2. Coherent and squeezed states of the radiation field; 3. Incoherent states of the radiation field; 4. Fieldfield and photon-photon correlation interferometry; 5. Atomfield interaction ?semiclassical theory; 6. Atomfield interaction ?quantum theory; 7. Lasing without inversion and other effects of atomic coherence and interference; 8. Quantum theory of damping ?density operator and wave function approach; 9. Quantum theory of damping ?HeisenbergLangevin approach; 10. Resonance fluorescence; 11. Quantum theory of laser - density operator approach; 12. Quantum theory of laser ?HeisenbergLangevin approach; 13. Theory of the micromaser; 14. Correlated emission laser: concept, theory and analysis; 15. Phase sensitivity in quantum optical systems: applications; 16. Squeezing via non-linear optical processes; 17. Atom optics; 18. The EPR paradox, hidden variables and Bells Theorem; 19. Quantum non-demolition measurements; 20. Quantum optical tests of complementarity; 21. Two-photon interferometry and the quantum measurement problem.