Atom-Photon

Interactions
Basic Processes
and Applications
Claude Cohen-Tannoudji
Jacques Dupont-Roc
Gilbert Grynberg

®
A WILEY-INTERSCIENCE PUBLICATION

JOHN WILEY & SONS, INC.

New York Chichester Brisbane Toronto Singapore
 Contents

Preface xxi
Introduction 1

I
TRANSITION AMPLITUDES IN ELECTRODYNAMICS

Introduction 5

A. Probability Amplitude Associated with a Physical Process . . . . 7

B. Time Dependence of Transition Amplitudes 9

1. Coupling between Discrete Isolated States 9
2. Resonant Coupling between a Discrete Level and a Contin-
uum 10
3. Couplings inside a Continuum or between Continua 12

C. Application to Electrodynamics 15
1. Coulomb Gauge Hamiltonian 15
2. Expansion in Powers of the Charges qa 16
3. Expansion in Powers of the Interaction with the Transverse
Field 17
4. Advantages of Including the Coulomb Interaction in the
Particle Hamiltonian 18
5. Diagrammatic Representation of Transition Amplitudes . . . 19

COMPLEMENT AJ—PERTURBATIVE CALCULATION OF

TRANSITION AMPLITUDES — S O M E USEFUL RELATIONS

Introduction 23

1. Interaction Representation 23
V
VI Contents

2. Perturbative Expansion of Transition Amplitudes—a. Pertur-

bative Expansion of the Evolution Operator, b. First-Order
Transition Amplitude, с Second-Order Transition Amplitude . . . 25
3. Transition Probability—a. Calculation of the Transition Proba­
bility to a Final State Different from the Initial State, b. Transi­
tion Probability between Two Discrete States. Lowest-Order
Calculation, с Case Where the Final State Belongs to an En­
ergy Continuum. Density of States, d. Transition Rate toward a
Continuum of Final States, e. Case Where both the Initial and
Final States Belong to a Continuum 31

COMPLEMENT B , — D E S C R I P T I O N O F THE E F F E C T O F A
PERTURBATION BY AN EFFECTIVE HAMILTONIAN

1. Introduction—Motivation 38
2. Principle of the Method 41
3. Determination of the Effective Hamiltonian—a. Iterative Cal­
culation of S. b. Expression of the Second-Order Effective
Hamiltonian. с Higher-Order Terms 43
4. Case of Two Interacting Systems 46

COMPLEMENT C J — D I S C R E T E L E V E L COUPLED TO A B R O A D
CONTINUUM: A SIMPLE M O D E L

Introduction 49

1. Description of the Model—a. The Discrete State and the Con­

tinuum, b. Discretization of the Continuum, с Simplifying
Assumptions 50
2. Stationary States of the System. Traces of the Discrete State in
the New Continuum—a. The Eigenvalue Equation, b. Graphic
Determination of the New Eigenvalues, с Probability Density of
the Discrete State in the New Continuum 51
3. A Few Applications of This Simple Model—a. Decay of the
Discrete Level, b. Excitation of the System in the Discrete Level
from Another State, с Resonant Scattering through a Discrete
Level, d. Fano Profiles 56
4. Generalization to More Realistic Continua. Diagonalization of
the Hamiltonian without Discretization . 64
 Contents vii

II
A SURVEY OF SOME INTERACTION PROCESSES
BETWEEN PHOTONS AND ATOMS

Introduction 67

A. Emission Process: A New Photon Appears 69

1. Spontaneous Emission between Two Discrete Atomic Lev­
els. Radiative Decay of an Excited Atomic State—a. Dia­
grammatic Representation, b. Spontaneous Emission Rate.
с Nonperturbative Results 69
2. Spontaneous Emission between a Continuum State and
a Discrete State—a. First Example: Radiative Capture.
b. Second Example: Radiative Dissociation of a Molecule . . . 73
3. Spontaneous Emission between Two States of the Ioniza­
tion Continuum—Bremsstrahlung 76

B. Absorption Process: A Photon Disappears 78

1. Absorption between Two Discrete States 78
2. Absorption between a Discrete State and a Continuum
State—a. First Example: Photoionization. b. Second Exam­
ple: Photodissociation 79
3. Absorption between Two States of the Ionization Contin­
uum: Inverse Bremsstrahlung 82
4. Influence of the Initial State of the Field on the Dynamics
of the Absorption Process 83

C. Scattering Process: A Photon Disappears and Another Photon

Appears 86
1. Scattering Amplitude—Diagrammatic Representation . . . . 86
2. Different Types of Photon Scattering by an Atomic or
Molecular System—a. Low-Energy Elastic Scattering:
Rayleigh Scattering, b. Low-Energy Inelastic Scattering:
Raman Scattering, с High-Energy Elastic Scattering: Thom­
son Scattering, d. High-Energy Inelastic Scattering with the
Final Atomic State in the Ionization Continuum: Compton
Scattering 88
3. Resonant Scattering 93

D. Multiphoton Processes: Several Photons Appear or Disappear 98

1. Spontaneous Emission of Two Photons 98
2. Multiphoton Absorption (and Stimulated Emission) be­
tween Two Discrete Atomic States 100
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3. Multiphoton Ionization 102

4. Harmonic Generation 104
5. Multiphoton Processes and Quasi-Resonant Scattering ... 106

E. Radiative Corrections: Photons Are Emitted and Reabsorbed

(or Absorbed and Reemitted) 109
1. Spontaneous Radiative Corrections—a. Case of a Free Elec­
tron: Mass Correction, b. Case of an Atomic Electron: Natu­
ral Width and Radiative Shift 109
2. Stimulated Radiative Corrections . . . 114

Interaction by Photon Exchange 118

1. Exchange of Transverse Photons between Two Charged
Particles: First Correction to the Coulomb Interaction . . . . 118
2. Van der Waals Interaction between Two Neutral Atoms—
a. Small Distance: D -« kab. b. Large Distance kab « : D . . . 121

COMPLEMENT A n — P H O T O D E T E C T I O N SIGNALS AND

CORRELATION FUNCTIONS

Introduction 127

1. Simple Models of Atomic Photodetectors—a. Broadband Pho-

todetector. b. Narrow-Band Photodetector 128
2. Excitation Probability and Correlation Functions—a. Hamilto-
nian. Evolution Operator, b. Calculation of the Probability That
the Atom Has Left the Ground State after a Time At.
с Atomic Dipole Correlation Function, d. Field Correlation
Function 129
3. Broadband Photodetection—a. Condition on the Correlation
Functions, b. Photoionization Rate 137
4. Narrow-Band Photodetection—a. Conditions on the Incident
Radiation and on the Detector, b. Excitation by a Broadband
Spectrum, с Influence of the Natural Width of the Excited
Atomic Level 139
5. Double Photodetection Signals—a. Correlation between Two
Photodetector Signals, b. Sketch of the Calculation ofw„ . . . . 143
 Contents ix

COMPLEMENT В П — R A D I A T I V E CORRECTIONS IN THE

P A U L I - F I E R Z REPRESENTATION

Introduction 147

1. The Pauli-Fierz Transformation—a. Simplifying Assumptions,

b. Transverse Field Tied to a Classical Particle, с Determination
of the Pauli-Fierz Transformation 148
2. The Observables in the New Picture—a. Transformation of the
Transverse Fields, b. Transformation of the Particle Dynamical
Variables, с Expression for the New Hamiltonian 152
3. Physical Discussion—a. Mass Correction, b. New Interaction
Hamiltonian between the Particle and the Transverse Field,
с Advantages of the New Representation, d. Inadequacy of the
Concept of a Field Tied to a Particle 157

III
NONPERTURBATTVE CALCULATION OF TRANSITION
AMPLITUDES

Introduction 165

A. Evolution Operator and Resolvent 167

1. Integral Equation Satisfied by the Evolution Operator . . . . 167
2. Green's Functions—Propagators 167
3. Resolvent of the Hamiltonian 170

B. Formal Resummation of the Perturbation Series 172

1. Diagrammatic Method Explained on a Simple Model 172
2. Algebraic Method Using Projection Operators—a. Projector
onto a Subspace %0 of the Space of States, b. Calculation of
the Projection of the Resolvent in the Subspace 2?0. с Calcu­
lation of Other Projections of G(z). d. Interpretation of the
Level-Shift Operator 174
3. Introduction of Some Approximations—a. Perturbative Cal­
culation of the Level-Shift Operator. Partial Resummation of
the Perturbation Series, b. Approximation Consisting of Ne­
glecting the Energy Dependence of the Level-Shift Operator. . . 179

C. Study of a Few Examples 183

1. Evolution of an Excited Atomic State—a. Nonperturbative
Calculation of the Probability Amplitude That the Atom Re-
X Contents

mains Excited, b. Radiative Lifetime and Radiative Level

Shift, c. Conditions of Validity for the Treatment of the Two
Preceding Subsections 183
2. Spectral Distribution of Photons Spontaneously Emitted by
an Excited Atom—a. Relevant Matrix Element of the Resol­
vent Operator, b. Generalization to a Radiative Cascade.
с Natural Width and Shift of the Emitted Lines 189
3. Indirect Coupling between a Discrete Level and a Contin­
uum. Example of the Lamb Transition—a. Introducing
the Problem, b. Nonperturbative Calculation of the Transi­
tion Amplitude, с Weak Coupling Limit. Bethe Formula.
d. Strong Coupling Limit. Rabi Oscillation 197
4. Indirect Coupling between Two Discrete States. Multi-
photon Transitions—a. Physical Process and Subspace W0
of Relevant States, b. Nonperturbative Calculation of the
Transition Amplitude, с Weak Coupling Case. Two-Photon
Excitation Rate. d. Strong Coupling Limit. Two-Photon
Rabi Oscillation, e. Higher-Order Multiphoton Transitions.
f Limitations of the Foregoing Treatment 205

COMPLEMENT А ш—ANALYTIC PROPERTIES OF THE

RESOLVENT

Introduction 213

1. Analyticity of the Resolvent outside the Real Axis 213

2. Singularities on the Real Axis 215
3. Unstable States and Poles of the Analytic Continuation of the
Resolvent 217
4. Contour Integral and Corrections to the Exponential Decay . . . 220

COMPLEMENT В ш — N O N P E R T U R B A T I V E EXPRESSIONS FOR

THE SCATTERING AMPLITUDES OF A P H O T O N BY AN A T O M

Introduction 222

1. Transition Amplitudes between Unperturbed States—a. Using

the Resolvent, b. Transition Matrix, с Application to Reso­
nant Scattering, d. Inadequacy of Such an Approach 222
 Contents xi

Introducing Exact Asymptotic States—a. The Atom in the Ab­

sence of Free Photons, b. The Atom in the Presence of a Free
Photon 229
Transition Amplitude between Exact Asymptotic States—
a. New Definition of the S-Matrix. b. New Expression for the
Transition Matrix. Physical Discussion 233

COMPLEMENT C i n — D I S C R E T E STATE COUPLED TO A

F I N I T E - W I D T H CONTINUUM: F R O M THE WEISSKOPF - W I G N E R
EXPONENTIAL D E C A Y TO THE R A B I OSCILLATION

1. Introduction—Overview 239
2. Description of the Model—a. Unperturbed States, b. Assump­
tions concerning the Coupling, с Calculation of the Resolvent
and of the Propagators, d. Fourier Transform of the Amplitude
U„(T) 240
3. The Important Physical Parameters—a. The Function ГЬ{Е).
b. The Parameter П1 Characterizing the Coupling of the Discrete
State with the Whole Continuum, с The Function Ab(E) . . . . 244
4. Graphical Discussion—a. Construction of the Curve %?b(E).
b. Graphical Determination of the Maxima of ^b{E). Classifica­
tion of the Various Regimes 246
5. Weak Coupling Limit—a. Weisskopf-Wigner Exponential De­
cay, b. Corrections to the Exponential Decay 249
6. Intermediate Coupling. Critical Coupling—a. Power Expansion
of %?b(E) near a Maximum, b. Physical Meaning of the Critical
Coupling 251
7. Strong Coupling 253

IV
RADIATION CONSIDERED AS A RESERVOIR: MASTER
EQUATION FOR THE PARTICLES

Introduction—Overview 257

Derivation of the Master Equation for a Small System st

Interacting with a Reservoir Ш 262
1. Equation Describing the Evolution of the Small System in
the Interaction Representation 262
xii Contents

2. Assumptions Concerning the Reservoir—a. State of the

Reservoir, b. One-Time and Two-Time Averages for the
Reservoir Observables 263
3. Perturbative Calculation of the Coarse-Grained Rate of
Variation of the Small System 266
4. Master Equation in the Energy-State Basis 269

С Physical Content of the Master Equation 272

1. Evolution of Populations 272
2. Evolution of Coherences 274

D. Discussion of the Approximations 278

1. Order of Magnitude of the Evolution Time for srf 278
2. Condition for Having Two Time Scales 278
3. Validity Condition for the Perturbative Expansion 279
4. Factorization of the Total Density Operator at Time t . . . . 280
5. Summary 281

E. Application to a Two-Level Atom Coupled to the Radiation

Field 282
1. Evolution of Internal Degrees of Freedom—a. Master
Equation Describing Spontaneous Emission for a Two-Level
Atom. b. Additional Terms Describing the Absorption and
Induced Emission of a Weak Broadband Radiation 282
2. Evolution of Atomic Velocities—a. Taking into Account
the Translational Degrees of Freedom in the Master Equation,
b. Fokker-Planck Equation for the Atomic Velocity Distribu­
tion Function, с Evolutions of the Momentum Mean Value
and Variance, d. Steady-State Distribution. Thermodynamic
Equilibrium 289

COMPLEMENT A I V — F L U C T U A T I O N S AND LINEAR RESPONSE

APPLICATION TO RADIATIVE PROCESSES

Introduction 302

1. Statistical Functions and Physical Interpretation of the Master

Equation—a. Symmetric Correlation Function, b. Linear Sus-
 Contents xiii

ceptibility. с Polarization Energy and Dissipation, d. Physical

Interpretation of the Level Shifts, e. Physical Interpretation of
the Energy Exchanges 302
2. Applications to Radiative Processes—a. Calculation of the Sta­
tistical Functions, b. Physical Discussion, с Level Shifts due
to the Fluctuations of the Radiation Field, d. Level Shifts due to
Radiation Reaction, e. Energy Exchanges between the Atom and
the Radiation 312

COMPLEMENT B I V — M A S T E R EQUATION FOR A D A M P E D

H A R M O N I C OSCILLATOR

1. The Physical System 322

2. Operator Form of the Master Equation 323
3. Master Equation in the Basis of the Eigenstates of HA—
a. Evolution of the Populations, b. Evolution of a Few Average
Values
326
4. Master Equation in a Coherent State Basis—a. Brief Review of
Coherent States and the Representation PN of the Density Opera­
tor, b. Evolution Equation for PN(ß, ß*,t). с. Physical Dis­
cussion
329

COMPLEMENT C I V — Q U A N T U M LANGEVIN EQUATIONS

FOR A SIMPLE PHYSICAL SYSTEM

Introduction 334

1. Review of the Classical Theory of Brownian Motion—

a. Langevin Equation, b. Interpretation of the Coefficient D.
Connection between Fluctuations and Dissipation, с A Few
Correlation Functions 334
2. Heisenberg-Langevin Equations for a Damped Harmonic Os­
cillator—a. Coupled Heisenberg Equations, b. The Quantum
Langevin Equation and Quantum Langevin Forces, с Connec­
tion between Fluctuations and Dissipation, d. Mixed Two-Time
Averages Involving Langevin Forces and Operators of л/.
e. Rate of Variation of the Variances 2 ^ and ^A. f. General­
ization of Einstein's Relation, g. Calculation of Two-Time Aver­
ages for Operators of sf. Quantum Regression Theorem 340
XIV Contents

V
OPTICAL BLOCH EQUATIONS

Introduction 353

A. Optical Bloch Equations for a Two-Level Atom 355

1. Description of the Incident Field 355
2. Approximation of Independent Rates of Variation 356
3. Rotating-Wave Approximation—a. Elimination of Antireso-
nant Terms, b. Time-Independent Form of the Optical Bloch
Equations, с Other Forms of the Optical Bloch Equations .. . 357
4. Geometric Representation in Terms of a Fictitious Spin \ . . . 361

B. Physical Discussion—Differences with Other Evolution Equa­

tions 364
1. Differences with Relaxation Equations. Couplings between
Populations and Coherences 364
2. Differences with Hamiltonian Evolution Equations 364
3. Differences with Heisenberg-Langevin Equations 365

С First Application—Evolution of Atomic Average Values 367

1. Internal Degrees of Freedom—a. Transient Regime,
b. Steady-State Regime, с Energy Balance. Mean Number of
Incident Photons Absorbed per Unit Time 367
2. External Degrees of Freedom. Mean Radiative Forces—
a. Equation of Motion of the Center of the Atomic Wave
Packet, b. The Two Types of Forces for an Atom Initially at
Rest, с Dissipative Force. Radiation Pressure, d. Reactive
Force. Dipole Force 370

D. Properties of the Light Emitted by the Atom 379

1. Photodetection Signals. One- and Two-Time Averages of
the Emitting Dipole Moment—a. Connection between the
Radiated Field and the Emitting Dipole Moment, b. Expres­
sion of Photodetection Signals 379
2. Total Intensity of the Emitted Light—a. Proportionality to
the Population of the Atomic Excited State, b. Coherent
Scattering and Incoherent Scattering, с Respective Contribu­
tions of Coherent and Incoherent Scattering to the Total
Intensity Emitted in Steady State 382
3. Spectral Distribution of the Emitted Light in Steady
 Contents xv

State—a. Respective Contributions of Coherent and Incoher­

ent Scattering. Elastic and Inelastic Spectra, b. Outline of
the Calculation of the Inelastic Spectrum, с Inelastic Spec­
trum in a Few Limiting Cases 384

COMPLEMENT A V — B L O C H - L A N G E V I N EQUATIONS AND

Q U A N T U M REGRESSION T H E O R E M

Introduction 388

1. Coupled Heisenberg Equations for the Atom and the Field—

a. Hamiltonian and Operator Basis for the System, b. Evolution
Equations for the Atomic and Field Observables. с Rotating-
Wave Approximation. Change of Variables, d. Comparison with
the Harmonic Oscillator Case 388
2. Derivation of the Heisenberg-Langevin Equations—a. Choice
of the Normal Order, b. Contribution of the Source Field.
с Summary. Physical Discussion . 394
3. Properties of Langevin Forces—a. Commutation Relations
between the Atomic Dipole Moment and the Free Field, b. Cal­
culation of the Correlation Functions of Langevin Forces,
с Quantum Regression Theorem, d. Generalized Einstein
Relations 398

VI
THE DRESSED ATOM APPROACH

A. Introduction: The Dressed Atom 407

B. Energy Levels of the Dressed Atom 410

1. Model of the Laser Beam 410
2. Uncoupled States of the Atom + Laser Photons System . . . 412
3. Atom-Laser Photons Coupling—a. Interaction Hamiltonian.
b. Resonant and Nonresonant Couplings, с Local Periodic­
ity of the Energy Diagram, d. Introduction of the Rabi
Frequency 413
xvi Contents

4. Dressed States—a. Energy Levels and Wave Functions.

b. Energy Diagram versus h(oL 415
5. Physical Effects Associated with Absorption and Induced
Emission 417

C. Resonance Fluorescence Interpreted as a Radiative Cascade of

the Dressed Atom 419
1. The Relevant Time Scales 419
2. Radiative Cascade in the Uncoupled Basis—a. Time Evolu­
tion of the System, b. Photon Antibunching. c. Time Inter­
vals between Two Successive Spontaneous Emissions 420
3. Radiative Cascade in the Dressed State Basis—a. Allowed
Transitions between Dressed States, b. Fluorescence Triplet,
с Time Correlations between Frequency Filtered Fluorescence
Photons 423

D. Master Equation for the Dressed Atom 427

1. General Form of the Master Equation—a. Approximation of
Independent Rates of Variation, b. Comparison with Optical
Bloch Equations 427
2. Master Equation in the Dressed State Basis in the Secular
Limit—a. Advantages of the Coupled Basis in the Secular
Limit, b. Evolution of Populations, с Evolution of Coher­
ences—Transfer of Coherences, d. Reduced Populations and
Reduced Coherences 429
3. Quasi-Steady State for the Radiative Cascade—a. Initial Den­
sity Matrix, b. Transient Regime and Quasi-Steady State . . . . 435

E. Discussion of a Few Applications 437

1. Widths and Weights of the Various Components of the
Fluorescence Triplet—a. Evolution of the Mean Dipole Mo­
ment, b. Widths and Weights of the Sidebands, с Structure
of the Central Line 437
2. Absorption Spectrum of a Weak Probe Beam—a. Physical
Problem, b. Case Where the Two Lasers Are Coupled to the
Same Transition, с Probing on a Transition to a Third
Level. The Autler-Townes Effect 442
3. Photon Correlations—a. Calculation of the Photon-Correla­
tion Signal, b. Physical Discussion, с Generalization to a
Three-Level System: Intermittent Fluorescence 446
4. Dipole Forces—a. Energy Levels of the Dressed Atom in a
 Contents xvii

Spatially Inhomogeneous Laser Wave. b. Interpretation of the

Mean Dipole Force, с. Fluctuations of the Dipole Force . . . . 454

COMPLEMENT A V I — T H E D R E S S E D A T O M IN THE
RADIO-FREQUENCY DOMAIN

Introduction 460

1. Resonance Associated with a Level Crossing or Anti-

crossing—a. Anticrossing for a Two-Level System, b. Higher-
Order Anticrossing. с Level Crossing. Coherence Resonance . . . 461
2. Spin \ Dressed by Radio-Frequency Photons—a. Description of
the System, b. Interaction Hamiltonian between the Atom and
the Radio-Frequency Field, с Preparation and Detection 468
3. The Simple Case of Circularly Polarized Photons—a. Energy
Diagram, b. Magnetic Resonance Interpreted as a Level-Anti-
crossing Resonance of the Dressed Atom, с Dressed State
Level-Crossing Resonances 473
4. Linearly Polarized Radio-Frequency Photons—a. Survey of the
New Effects, b. Bloch-Siegert Shift, с The Odd Spectrum of
Level-Anticrossing Resonances, d. The Even Spectrum of
Level-Crossing Resonances, e. A Nonperturbative Calculation:
The Lande Factor of the Dressed Atom, f Qualitative Evolu­
tion of the Energy Diagram at High Intensity 479

COMPLEMENT B V I — C O L L I S I O N A L PROCESSES IN THE

PRESENCE OF LASER IRRADIATION

Introduction 490

1. Collisional Relaxation in the Absence of Laser Irradiation—

a. Simplifying Assumptions, b. Master Equation Describing the
Effect of Collisions on the Emitting Atom 491
2. Collisional Relaxation in the Presence of Laser Irradiation—
a. The Dressed Atom Approach, b. Evolution of Populations:
Collisional Transfers between Dressed States, с Evolution of
Coherences. Collisional Damping and Collisional Shift, d. Ex­
plicit Form of the Master Equation in the Impact Limit 494
xviii Contents

3. Collision-Induced Modifications of the Emission and Absorp­

tion of Light by the Atom. Collisional Redistribution—a. Tak­
ing into Account Spontaneous Emission, b. Reduced Steady-
State Populations, с Intensity of the Three Components of the
Fluorescence Triplet, d. Physical Discussion in the Limit Ог «с
ISJ «Tooll 501
4. Sketch of the Calculation of the Collisional Transfer Rate—
a. Expression of the Transfer Rate as a Function of the Collision
S-Matrix. b. Case Where the Laser Frequency Becomes Resonant
during the Collision. Limit of Large Detunings 510

EXERCISES

1. Calculation of the Radiative Lifetime of an Excited Atomic

Level. Comparison with the Damping Time of a Classical
Dipole Moment 515
2. Spontaneous Emission of Photons by a Trapped Ion.
Lamb-Dicke Effect 518
3. Rayleigh Scattering 524
4. Thomson Scattering 527
5. Resonant Scattering 530
6. Optical Detection of a Level Crossing between Two Excited
Atomic States 533
7. Radiative Shift of an Atomic Level. Bethe Formula for the
Lamb Shift 537
8. Bremsstrahlung. Radiative Corrections to Elastic Scattering by
a Potential 548
9. Low-Frequency Bremsstrahlung. Nonperturbative Treatment
of the Infrared Catastrophe 557
10. Modification of the Cyclotron Frequency of a Particle due to
Its Interactions with the Radiation Field 564
11. Magnetic Interactions between Spins 571
12. Modification of an Atomic Magnetic Moment due to Its Cou­
pling with Magnetic Field Vacuum Fluctuations 576
13. Excitation of an Atom by a Wave Packet: Broadband Excita­
tion and Narrow-Band Excitation 580
14. Spontaneous Emission by a System of Two Neighboring Atoms.
Superradiant and Subradiant States 585
15. Radiative Cascade of a Harmonic Oscillator 589
16. Principle of the Detailed Balance 596
 Contents xix

17. Equivalence between a Quantum Field in a Coherent State

and an External Field 597
18. Adiabatic Elimination of Coherences and Transformation of
Optical Bloch Equations into Relaxation Equations 601
19. Nonlinear Susceptibility for an Ensemble of Two-Level Atoms.
A Few Applications 604
20. Absorption of a Probe Beam by Atoms Interacting with an
Intense Beam. Application to Saturated Absorption 608

APPENDIX
QUANTUM ELECTRODYNAMICS IN THE COULOMB
GAUGE—SUMMARY OF THE ESSENTIAL RESULTS

1. Description of the Electromagnetic Field—a. Electric Field E

and Magnetic Field B. b. Vector Potential A and Scalar Poten­
tial U. с Coulomb Gauge, d. Normal Variables, e. Principle
of Canonical Quantization in the Coulomb Gauge, f. Quantum
Fields in the Coulomb Gauge 621
2. Particles 628
3. Hamiltonian and Dynamics in the Coulomb Gauge—a. Hamil­
tonian. b. Unperturbed Hamiltonian and Interaction Hamilto­
nian. с Equations of Motion 629
4. State Space 633
5. The Long-Wavelength Approximation and the Electric Dipole
Representation—a. The Unitary Transformation, b. The Phys­
ical Variables in the Electric Dipole Representation, с The
Displacement Field, d. Electric Dipole Hamiltonian 635

References 641

Index 645