Extensive coverage of experimental techniques
Theory developed in self-contained way, starting from elementary physics and progressing to current research frontier
Includes detailed discussion of linear optical amplifiers
Includes theory and experimental results for optical tomography
Broad coverage of quantum information processing, ranging from noise reduction in optical amplifiers to quantum teleportation and an optical realization of quantum computing
Tutorial style, end-of-chapter problem sets, solutions manual available to lecturers
Quantum optics, i.e. the interaction of individual photons with matter, began with the discoveries of Planck and Einstein, but in recent years it has expanded beyond pure physics to become an important driving force for technological innovation. This book serves the broader readership growing out of this development by starting with
an elementary description of the underlying physics and then building up a more advanced treatment. The reader is led from the quantum theory of the simple harmonic oscillator to the application of entangled states to quantum information processing. An equally important feature of the text is a strong emphasis on experimental methods. Primary photon detection, heterodyne and homodyne techniques, spontaneous down-conversion, and quantum tomography are discussed; together with important experiments. These experimental and theoretical considerations come together in the chapters describing quantum cryptography, quantum communications, and quantum computing.