Topics of the Lectures 

Lecture - 03/10/2025 - Cancelled due to the strike

Lecture 1 - 08/10/2025

Introduction to the course. The photoelectric effect, revisited. Semi-classical approach to light-matter interaction. Time-dependent pertubation theory. The Fermi's Golden Rule.  

REFERENCES: Introductory slides (click here!),  Lamb and the photoelectric effect  (click here!), GK: Ch. 4 (4.1-4.2).  

Lecture 2 - 09/10/2025 

Again on the photoelectric effect using the semiclassical approach.  Photon-counting statistics with a coherent beam of light with constant intentsity: "quantum" and "semi-classical" approaches. Poissonian distribution. Semi-classical theory of photodetection. 

REFERENCES: FOX: Ch. 5 (5.1,  5.2, 5.3, 5,4) -  LOU: Ch. 3 (3.9)

Lecture 3 - 10/10/2025 

Photocounting statistics of a fluctuating field: the Mandel formula. Classification of light by photon statistics: Poissonian, Super-Poissonian, and sub-Poissonian light. Discharge lamps and a model for chaotic light sources.  

REFERENCES: FOX: Ch. 5 (5.5, 5.6, 5.8) -  LOU: Ch. 3 (3.6, 3.9)

Lecture 4 - 15/10/2025 

Stochastic processes: definition of stationary and ergodic processes. Intensity fluctuations of chaotic light: calculation of the probability distribution and its variance.  Mandel formula applied to a chaotic light source: from Bose-Einsterin to Poissonian distribution.

REFERENCES: FOX: Ch. 5 (5.5, 5.6, 5.8) -  LOU: Ch. 3 (3.6, 3.9)

Lecture 5 - 16/10/2025 

 Further details on the Mandel formula and its connection to the second order correlation function:  Mandel Q paramenter. Thermal light and and the super-Poissonian carachter of balck-body radiation. Degradation of photon statistics by optical losses. Experiments demonstrating the existence of sub-poissonian sources of light: Frank-Hertz experiment in space-charge limited-current regime; Experiments performed with a beam of single atoms. 

REFERENCES: FOX: Ch. 5 (5.5, 5.6) - LOU: Ch. 3 (3.9)  - Undergradutate experiment: photon-counting statistics  (click here!) - Paper on the Franck-Hertz experiment (click here!) - Paper on the "single" atom experiment (click here!)

Lecture 6 - 17/10/2025 

Degree of second order coherence. Hanbury-Brown and Twiss interferometer. Connection between the first order and second order correlation functions. Calculation of the first order correlation function for  chaotic light sources. 

REFERENCES: FOX: Ch. 2 (2.2,  2.3) - Ch. 6 (6.1, 6.2, 6.3) -  LOU: Ch. 3 (3.3,3.4,3.5,3.7, 3.8). 

Lecture 7 - 22/10/2025

Degree of second order coherence for chaotic light sources (collision broadening and Doppler broadening). Calculation of the Mandel Q parameter for chaotic light sources with collision broadening.  Calculations of the bounds of the second order correlation function for any classical light source. New definition of light sources according to the value of the second order  correlation function at zero time delay: Photon bunching and antibunching.  Experimental demonstrations of photon antibunching. Kimble experiment with "single atoms".

REFERENCES: FOX: Ch. 6 (6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 6.5, 6.6, 6.7) -  LOU: Ch. 3 (3.7, 3.9).  Kimble experiment (click here!) - Michler experiment (click here!) - Photon Antibunching vs. sub-poissonian photon statistics (up to equation  4, click here!). 

Lecture 8 - 23/10/2025 

Photon bunching and antibunching.  Experimental demonstrations of photon antibunching. Kimble experiment with "single atoms". Experiments with single "artificial atoms". Triggered single photon sources. Introduction on single photon sources based on quantum dots.

REFERENCES: FOX: Kimble experiment (click here!) - Michler experiment (click here!)  Slides presented during the lecture (click here!)  

Lecture 9 - 24/10/2025 

How to quantize the electromagnetic field. Hamilton's equations. Potential theory for the classical electromagnetic field.  Coulomb gauge and the Helmotz theorem. 

REFERENCES:  LOU: Ch. 4 (4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4) 

Lecture 10 - 29/10/2025 

Quantization of the electromagnetic field.  Fock states. Multi-mode and single-mode states. Fock state or photon number states. Discusssion about the concept of "photon". The quadrature operators in the classical and quantum pictures. Quantum noise. Vaccum fluctuations. Fock state as highly non-classical states of light.

REFERENCES:  LOU: Ch. 4 (4.4), Ch. 5 (5.1, 5.2) 

Lecture 11 - 30/10/2025 

Coherent or quasi-classical states.  Discussion of the main properties of coherent states: expectiation value of the electric field and noise for a coherent state. Phase-space pticture of coherent states. 

REFERENCES:  LOU: Ch. 5 (5.3), GK: Ch. 3 (3.1-3.6) 

Lecture 12 - 31/10/2025 

Displacement operator.  How to generate coherent states.  Quadrature squeezing and squeezed states. Squeeze operator. Squeezed vaccum state.

REFERENCES:  LOU: Ch. 5 (5.3-5.5), GK: Ch. 3 (3.1-3.6) 

Lecture 13 - 5/11/2025  

Lecture 14- 6/11/2025  

Lecture 15- 7/11/2025  

Lecture 16 - 12/11/2025 

Lecture 17 - 13/11/2025 

Lecture 18 - 14/11/2025 

Lecture 19 - 19/11/2025 

Lecture 20- 20/11/2025 

Lecture 21 - 21/11/2025

Lecture 22 - 26/11/2025 

Lecture 23- 27/11/2025 

Lecture 24 - 28/11/2025

Lecture 25 - 3/12/2025 

Lecture 26- 4/12/2025 

Lecture 27 - 5/12/2025

Lecture 28 - 10/12/2025 

Lecture 29- 11/12/2025 

Lecture 30 - 12/12/2025

Lecture 31 - 17/12/2025 - to be confirmed