Brief Introduction
Learn how use quantum electrodynamics to describe the physics of interactions between atoms and photons.Description
In this physics course, you will be introduced to the QED Hamiltonian (Quantum ElectroDynamics), and learn how to construct diagrams for light-atom interactions. Using your new tools you will study Van der Waals and Casimir interactions, resonant scattering and radiative corrections.
This course is a part of a series of courses to introduce concepts and current frontiers of atomic physics, and to prepare you for cutting-edge research:
- 8.422.1x: Quantum States and Dynamics of Photons
- 8.422.2x: Atom-photon Interactions
- 8.422.3x: Optical Bloch Equations and Open System Dynamics
- 8.422.4x: Light Forces and Laser Cooling
- 8.422.5x: Ultracold Atoms and Ions for Many-body Physics and Quantum Information Science
At MIT, the content of the five courses makes the second of a two-semester sequence (8.421 and 8.422) for graduate students interested in Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics. This sequence is required for Ph.D. students doing research in this field.
Completing the series allows you to pursue advanced study and research in cold atoms, as well as in specialized topics in condensed matter physics. In these five courses you will learn about the following topics:
- Quantum states and dynamics of photons
- Photon-atom interactions: basics and semiclassical approximations
- Open system dynamics
- Optical Bloch equations
- Applications and limits of the optical Bloch equations
- Dressed atoms
- Light force
- Laser cooling
- Cold atoms
- Evaporative cooling
- Bose-Einstein condensation
- Quantum algorithms and protocols
- Ion traps and magnetic traps
Knowledge
- The QED Hamiltonian and Light-Atom interaction diagrams
- Van der Waals and Casimir interactions
- Resonant scattering
- Radiative corrections
Atomic and Optical Physics I– Part 1: Resonance
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First part of a course in modern atomic and optical physics: the physics of resonances, a central theme in atomic physics....
Atomic and Optical Physics: Atom-photon interactions
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Learn how use quantum electrodynamics to describe the physics of interactions between atoms and photons. 8. 422. 1x: Quantum States and Dynamics of Photons...
Atomic and Optical Physics: Ultracold Atoms and Many-body Physics
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Learn about ultracold atoms and Bose-Einstein Condensate and applications to solid-state physics and quantum information science. Ketterle about Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC)....
Atomic and Optical Physics: Light Forces and Laser Cooling
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Learn about light forces, laser cooling and how to create optical atom traps. You will also study light forces in the dressed atom picture....
