PHYS 522 Laser-Matter Interaction (MSc)

Semiclassical Theory of Light-Matter interaction: absorption, stimulated emission. Fermi's golden rule. The transition rate between bound atomic states (absorption, stimulated emission). Semiclassical theory of photoionization: (a) total photo-otoionization cross section, (b) differential photo-ionization cross section, Angular distribution of photoelectrons. Quantization of the electromagnetic field. The theory of spontaneous emission. Spontaneous emission rate. Two-level system interacting with a light field: (a) semiclassical theory in the Rotating-Wave-Approximmation (rate equations, Maxwell-Bloch equations, Rabi oscillations), (b) Bloch-Siegert shift (dynamics beyond RWA). The Jaynes-Cummings model. Photon bunching and anti-bunching. Coherent states. Squeezed states. Generation of squeezed states by parametric down conversion.