Optical Coherence and Quantum Optics

This book presents a systematic account of optical coherence theory within the framework of classical optics.

Preface; 1. Elements of probability theory; 2. Random (or stochastic) processes; 3. Some useful mathematical techniques; 4. Second-order coherence theory of scalar wavefields; 5. Radiation from sources of any state of coherence; 6. Second-order coherence theory of vector electromagnetic fields; 7. Some applications of second-order coherence theory; 8. Higher-order correlations in optical fields; 9. Semiclassical theory of photoelectric detection of light; 10. Quantization of the free electromagnetic field; 11. Coherent states of the electromagnetic field; 12. Quantum correlations and photon statistics; 13. Radiation from thermal equilibrium sources; 14. Quantum theory of photoelectric detection of light; 15. Interaction between light and a two-level atom; 16. Collective atomic interactions; 17. Some general techniques for treating interacting systems; 18. The single-mode laser; 19. The two-mode ring laser; 20. The linnear light amplifier; 21. Squeezed states of light; 22. Some quantum effects in nonlinear optics; References; Author index; Subject index.