Quantum Nature of Light: From Photon States to Quantum Fluids of Light

A quantum description of light is central to many aspects of the modern quantum technological revolution and key to our understanding and exploitation of photon-matter interactions, interpretation of entanglement, teleportation and quantum metrology. It underpins our comprehension of the quantum nature of information and how we can formulate, manipulate, and process it using physical systems operating on quantum mechanical principles, and a pathway to the building of quantum computing devices.

This book gives a broad perspective on quantum light phenomena. It goes beyond traditional quantum optics, to include quantum fluids of light and the complete electromagnetic vacuum. Important topics for students and researchers working in a large range of areas in the modern quantum technological revolution, from single photon processes to ultra-intense laser physics. This includes atom manipulation with photons, quantum computation, ultrafast lasers, Bose-Einstein condensation of photons, superfluid light, laboratory astrophysics, and the exploration of QED vacuum using ultra-intense lasers. It also includes the axion-photon coupling, which is relevant to the search for dark matter.

The first part of the book includes basic electromagnetic field quantisation, the characterisation of quantum photon states and elementary photon-atom interactions. Secondly, quantum fluids of light are explored such as recent areas as Bose-Einstein condensation, light vortices and superfluid light. Finally, the last section of the book focuses on a more complete description of quantum vacuum, which includes electron-positron states. The book is intended to make the bridge between these three somewhat distinct aspects of the quantum states of light.

The audience for the book includes researchers and advanced students in quantum technology including quantum optics, metrology and computing.

Key Features:

• Up to date review of the field, including quantum fluids of light
• Extensive coverage of the topic
• Key and central theme for modern quantum science and technology
• Written by a respected expert in the field