Quantum Optics and Measurements

The quantum statistical properties of light and light-matter interaction determine the performance of various optical systems, such as lasers, optical communication, optical precision measurement and optical information processing. Quantum optics is a particular field of physics which studies the quantum effects of light and light-matter interaction. In this course we will discuss the basic concepts, mathematical methods and experimental techniques of quantum optics. The other main goal of this class is to understand the physics of laser phase transition from the quantum optics viewpoint.

Mesoscopic Physics and Nanostructures

Understanding new phenomena and predicting new functions in various nano-structured solid state systems require the fundamental theories of spins, excitons and electron transport in such systems. In this course we will study the basic properties of nuclear spins, electron spins, excitons, polaritons and conduction electrons (quasi-particles) in solid states. The lectures are devoted to understanding the basic concepts and theoretical methods of the above topics. Advanced subjects and related experiments are covered by the reading assignment.

Fundamentals of Noise Processes

Mathematical methods, statistical and quantum mechanical theorems, and circuit models of various noisy systems are reviewed. The first part of the text covers fundamentals of statistics, Fourrier analysis, statistical mechanics, quantum mechanics, and linear and nonlinear　circuit theory. The second part describes the noise properties of various devices and systems such as a macroscopic conductor, mesoscopic　conductor, macroscopic pn junction, mesoscopic pn junction, transistor, laser amplifier/oscillator, parametric amplifier/oscillator, classical optical　communication and quantum communication systems.

Physics of Quantum Information

This course (AP226: Physics of Quantum Information) provides the fundamental concepts, physical pictures, and basic experimental techniques which are essential in the field of quantum information science. The mathematical methods in probabilities and quantum mechanics that have been instructed in AP225 are assumed. The present course focuses on the development of physical pictures and intuition on various quantum phenomena and applications.

Physics of Quantum Computation

Overview of physical qubit encodings in atomic and semiconductor systems; principles of magnetic resonance including double-resonance techniques; decoherence, refocusing and decoupling of spin qubits. Spontaneous emission as a quantum stochastic process; the dressed-state picture and Optical Bloch Equations for atoms interacting with light; introduction to cavity QED and to simple laser cooling. Basic physics of quantum information processing with trapped ions; input-output properties of cavity QED systems; single-photon generation. Quantum dot excitons and semiconductor cavity QED; coherent Raman scattering; all-optical control of electron spin states. Entanglement distribution, purification and swapping; quantum well excitons, cavity polaritons and BEC quantum computation. Cold collisions of gas-phase atoms, optical lattices, and atomic cluster-state generation.