Fall 2014 - Physics 644 - Advanced Atomic Physics

Assignments will be made / posted on Ctools.

Grades will be available on Ctools.

Course grading: Tentatively, 60% on assignments during the term, and 40% on a final project.

Office hours: TBD

Scope:The course is focused on the following topics: Atom-field and atom-laser interactions. Absorption, emission, and saturation. Mechanical effects of light on atoms (atom cooling and trapping methods, BEC). Atom interferometry. Rydberg-atom physics and quantum defect theory. AC Stark shifts and ponderomotive effects. Floquet theory. Quantum optics phenomena (such as electromagnetically induced transparency and Autler-Townes effect). The prerequisites for this course are Quantum Mechanics (Phys 511/512) and Electromagnetism (Phys 505/506), or their equivalent. It is assumed that students have a good working knowledge of non-relativistic quantum mechanics.

Recommended Textbooks:

Principles of Laser Spectroscopy and Quantum Optics, Paul R. Berman, Vladimir S. Malinovsky
ISBN-10: 0691140561, ISBN-13: 978-0691140568
Theoretical Atomic Physics, Harald Siegfried Friedrich
ISBN-13: 978-3540256441, ISBN-10: 354025644X, Edition: 3rd
Laser Cooling and Trapping, Harold J. Metcalf and Peter van der Straten
ISBN-13: 978-0387987286, ISBN-10: 0387987282, Edition: Corrected
Atomic Physics, Christopher J. Foot
ISBN-13: 978-0198506966, ISBN-10: 0198506961, Edition: 1st