Quantum Optics VI documents the most recent theoretical and experimental developments in this field, with particular emphasis on atomic optics and interferometry, which is a new and rapidly developing area of research. New methods for quantum-noise reduction are also covered.

The conference, held at the U. of Rochester in June 1989, was a sequel to five earlier meetings in this series, held in 1960, 1966, 1972, 1977 and 1983. This volume contains abbreviated versions of most of the 252 papers presented, addressing such topics as laser spectroscopy, photon statistics, pha

This volume contains several surveys of important developments in quantum probability. The new type of quantum central limit theorems, based on the notion of free independence rather than the usual Boson or Fermion independence is discussed. A surprising result is that the role of the Gaussian for this new type of independence is played by the Wigner distribution. This motivated the introduction of new type of quantum independent increments noise, the free noise and the corresponding stochastic calculus. A further generalization, the ϖ-noises, is discussed. The free stochastic calculus is shown to be able to fit naturally into the general representation free calculus. The basic free are shown to be realized as non-adapted stochastic integrals with respect to the usual Boson white noises. Quantum noise on the finite difference algebra is expressed in terms of the usual Boson white noises. A new quantum way of looking at classical stochastic flows, in particular diffusions on Riemannian Manifolds is explained. Quantum groups are discussed from the point of view of possible applications to quantum probability. The applications of quantum probability to physics are surveyed.

This book is based on a series of lectures given at a Summer School held in Mar del Plata, Argentina, during the Winter (Southamerican) of 1988. A number of world renowned researchers have produced comprehensive surveys on topics that range from the basic principles of laser physics and laser dynamics, quantum optics, quantum aspects of the interaction of a few atoms and the electromagnetic field, and other fast growing areas of research. This book will be useful for graduate students and young researchers who wish to gain an introduction to the field of modern optics.

The Seventh Rochester Conference on Coherence and Quantum Optics was held on the campus of the University of Rochester during the four-day period June 7 - 10, 1996. More than 280 scientists from 33 countries participated. This book contains the Proceedings of the meeting. This Conference differed from the previous six in the series in having only a limited number of oral presentations, in order to avoid too many parallel sessions. Another new feature was the introduction of tutorial lectures. Most contributed papers were presented in poster sessions. The Conference was sponsored by the American Physical Society, by the Optical Society of America, by the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics and by the University of Rochester. We wish to express our appreciation to these organizations for their support and we especially extend our thanks to the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics for providing financial assistance to a number of speakers from Third World countries, to enable them to take part in the meeting.

In last years increasing attention has been again devoted to interpretations of quantum theory. In the same time interesting quantum optical experiments have been performed using nonlinear optical processes, in particular frequency down conversion, which provided new information about nature of a photon on the basis of interference and correlation (coincidence) phenomena. Such single-photon and twin-photon effects of quantum optics provide new point of view of interpretations of quantum theory and new tests of its principles. The purpose of this book is to discuss these questions. To follow this goal we give brief reviews of principles of quantum theory and of quantum theory of measurement. As a fundamental theoretical tool the coherent state technique is adopted based on a general algebraic treatment, including the de scription of interaction of radiation and matter. Typical quantum behaviour of physical systems is exhibited by nonclassical optical phenomena, which can be examined using photon interferences and correlations. These phenomena are closely related to violation of various classical inequalities and Bell's in equalities. The most important part of this book discusses quantum optical experiments supporting quantum theory. This book may be considered as a continuation of previous monographs by one of the authors on Coherence of Light (Van Nostrand Reinhold, London 1972, second edition D. Reidel, Dordrecht 1985) and on Quantum Statistics of Linear and Nonlinear Optical Phenomena (D. Reidel, Dordrecht 1984, second edition Kluwer, Dordrecht 1991), which may serve as a preparation for reading this book.

Describing the phase of an electromagnetic field mode or harmonic oscillator has been an obstacle since the early days of modern quantum theory. The quantum phase operator was even more problematic with the invention of the maser and laser in the 1950s and 1960s. This problem was not solved until the Pegg-Barnett formalism was developed in the 1980s. Edited by one of the scientists who created this key solution, The Quantum Phase Operator: A Review charts the development of phase and angle operators from their first appearance to modern theory. Bringing together vital works that have been published on the subject, the book presents the ideas that led to the current theory of the phase operator and provides a complete picture of the progress that has followed since then. With introductions by the editors to put the papers in context and unify the content of the book, each section focuses on a different aspect of phase operators. The editors also chronologically organize the papers within the sections to highlight how scientific thought has evolved, if at all, over time. A collection of important relevant material that is scattered throughout the literature, this volume chronicles the history of the various facets of the quantum phase operator, promoting a solid foundation in quantum theory.

A wide-ranging review of modern spectroscopic techniques such as X-ray, photoelectron, optical and laser spectroscopy, and related techniques. The book focuses on physical principles and the impact of spectroscopy on our understanding of the building blocks of matter, while examining applications to chemical analysis, photochemistry, surface characterization, environmental and medical diagnostics, remote sensing, and astrophysics. This Third Edition includes the most up-to-date developments.

Proceedings of SPIE present the original research papers presented at SPIE conferences and other high-quality conferences in the broad-ranging fields of optics and photonics. These books provide prompt access to the latest innovations in research and technology in their respective fields. Proceedings of SPIE are among the most cited references in patent literature.