ECE 69500 - Quantum Optics & Quantum Information

Course Details

Lecture Hours: 3 Credits: 3

Areas of Specialization:

  • Fields and Optics

Counts as:

Normally Offered:

Each Spring

Campus/Online:

On-campus only

Requisites by Topic:

Linear algebra, basic quantum mechanics, classical electrodynamics

Catalog Description:

This course provides a basic introduction to quantum optical phenomena and their applications to quantum information. The purpose of the course is to introduce students to the concepts of quantum physics from the perspective of state-of-the-art experiments and applications. Topics covered include: introduction to qubits and the quantum nature of light, interaction between atoms and photons, quantum states of light, optical cavities, introduction to quantum fluctuations, non-linear optical phenomena, quantum entanglement, quantum teleportation, Bell's inequalities, quantum eraser, quantum sensing and quantum metrology.

Required Text(s):

None.

Recommended Text(s):

  1. Introductory Quantum Optics , Gerry, C. C.; Knight, P. L. , Cambridge University Press , 2004 , ISBN No. 052152735X
  2. Modern Quantum Mechanics , 2nd Edition , Sakurai, J. J. , Pearson , 2010 , ISBN No. 0805382917
  3. Quantum Optics: Taming the Quantum , 1 Edition , Meystre, P. , Springer , 2021 , ISBN No. 978-3-030-76183-7

Lecture Outline:

Lecture Lecture Topics
1 Overview: what is quantum optics and quantum information? What is the scope of this course? What is a quantum state? Quantum states of qubits, Bloch sphere representation
2 Intro to QM: Wave-particle duality, photoelectric effect, double slit experiment, de Broglie wavelength
3 Intro to QM: Quantum operators, What is a Hamiltonian?
4 Intro to QM: Quantum dynamics and Schrodinger equation, Evolution operator
5 Introduction/Motivation for optical cavities and Harmonic Oscillators
6 Harmonic oscillators; Quantized EM field: Photons, entanglement and quantum states of light
7 Quantization of the EM field
8 Quantization of the EM field, Quantum fluctuations
9 Photons, Introduction to entanglement and non-linear optics
10 Entangled photon pair generation
11 Quantum eraser and delayed choice
12 Quantum teleportation
13 Bell's Inequalities
14 Quantum states of light: Coherent states
15 Quadrature operators, Dynamics of coherent states
16 Squeezed states, Homodyne measurement
17 Squeezed state generation and detection, Squeezed states in LIGO
18 Thermal states and cat states; Atom-field interactions
19 Atom-field interaction, Interaction picture, Laser-driven atoms
20 Jaynes Cummings model, Rabi Cycle dynamics
21 Spontaneous emission
22 Atomic cooling and trapping I
23 Atomic cooling and trapping II
24 Atomic clocks
25 Decoherence

Assessment Method:

Homework, projects (11/2023)