A Guide to Experiments in Quantum Optics

Some of the most interesting phenomena in optics are those where the quantum mechanical nature of light is apparent. In recent years, there has been a rapid expansion of experimental optics into this area. This book is intended as a guide through the many experiments that have been published.
Although there have been many excellent books written on quantum optics, they have been written from a theoretical point of view. This new book differs in that it focuses on actual experiments and what can be learned from them. It explains the underlying physics and addresses questions such as the limitations of the equipment, what can be measured and what remains a goal for the future.
To bridge the gap between theory and experiment, the book employs a succession of steps. First, the classical properties of light are summarised and then models for the quantum properties of light are introduced. Next, the basic components of the experiments are introduced and their specific properties that have an influence on quantum optics experiments are discussed. A chapter on basic experiments forms the building blocks of all quantum optics experiments.
The last part of the book deals with currently reported experiments in non-classical light and squeezing and with quantum non-demolition experiments and finishes off with a chapter on applications in communications, cryptography and gravity wave detectors.

Hans-A. Bachor is Professor and Head of the Physics Department, Faculty of Science, The Australian National University, Canberra.