THE subject of quantum electrodynamics is extremely difficult, even for the case of a single electron. The usual method of solving the corresponding wave equation leads to divergent integrals. To avoid these, Prof. P. A. M. Dirac* uses the method of redundant variables. This does not abolish the difficulty, but presents it in a new form, which may be dealt with in two ways. The first of these needs only comparatively simple mathematics and is directly connected with an elegant general scheme, but unfortunately its wave functions apply only to a hypothetical world and so its physical interpretation is indirect. The second way has the advantage of a direct physical interpretation, but the mathematics is so complicated that it has not yet been solved even for what appears to be the simplest possible case. Both methods seem worth further study, failing the discovery of a third which would combine the advantages of both.

http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/iel5/3/22993/01069961.pdf

Quantum electrodynamics

Squeezed states of the electromagnetic field have been generated by nondegenerate four-wave mixing due to Na atoms in an optical cavity. The optical noise in the cavity, comprised of primarily vacuum fluctuations and a small component of spontaneous emission from the pumped Na atoms, is amplified in one quadrature of the optical field and deamplified in the other quadrature. These quadrature components are measured with a balanced homodyne detector. The total noise level in the deamplified quadrature drops below the vacuum noise level.

Observation of squeezed states generated by four-wave mixing in an optical cavity

Seventy five years ago, three remarkable papers by Schr¨ odinger, Kennard and Darwin were published. They were devoted to the evolution of Gaussian wave packets for an oscillator, a free particle and a particle moving in uniform constant electric and magnetic fields. From the contemporary point of view, these packets can be considered as prototypes of the coherent and squeezed states, which are, in a sense, the cornerstones of modern quantum optics. Moreover, these states are frequently used in many other areas, from solid state physics to cosmology. This paper gives a review of studies performed in the field of so-called ‘nonclassical states’ (squeezed states are their simplest representatives) over the past seventy five years, both in quantum optics and in other branches of quantum physics. My starting point is to elucidate who introduced different concepts, notions and terms, when, and what were the initial motivations of the authors. Many new references have been found which enlarge the ‘standard citation package’ used by some authors, recovering many undeservedly forgotten (or unnoticed) papers and names. Since it is practically impossible to cite several thousand publications, I have tried to include mainly references to papers introducing new types of quantum states and studying their properties, omitting many publications devoted to applications and to the methods of generation and experimental schemes, which can be found in other well known reviews. I also mainly concentrate on the initial period, which terminated approximately at the border between the end of the 1980s and the beginning of the 1990s, when several fundamental experiments on the generation of squeezed states were performed and the first conferences devoted to squeezed and ‘nonclassical’ states commenced. The 1990s are described in a more ‘squeezed’ manner: I have confined myself to references to papers where some new concepts have been introduced, and to the most recent reviews or papers with extensive bibliographical lists.

/pdf/nonclassical-states-in-quantum-optics-a-squeezed-review-of-1899ims4cu.pdf

'Nonclassical' states in quantum optics: a 'squeezed' review of the first 75 years

Theory of Flow Phenomena in Liquid Crystals

Classical and quantum mechanics of the damped harmonic oscillator

The connection between the integrals of the motion of a quantum system and its Green function is established. The Green function is shown to be the eigenfunction of the integrals of the motion which describe initial points of the system trajectory in the phase space of average coordinates and moments. The explicit expressions for the Green functions of theN-dimensional system with the Hamiltonian which is the most general quadratic form of coordinates and momenta with time-dependent coefficients is obtained in coordinate, momentum, and coherent states representations. The Green functions of the nonstationary singular oscillator and of the stationary Schrodinger equation are also obtained.

Integrals of the Motion, Green Functions, and Coherent States of Dynamical Systems

Coherent states and excitation of N-dimensional non-stationary forced oscillator

Coherent states of a charged particle in a time-dependent uniform electromagnetic field of a plane current

The concept of loss energy states is introduced. The loss energy states of the quantum harmonic damping oscillator are considered in detail. The method of constructing the loss energy states for general multidimensional quadratic nonstationary quantum systems is briefly discussed.

/pdf/loss-energy-states-of-nonstationary-quantum-systems-56nkq56un5.pdf

Loss energy states of nonstationary quantum systems

Coherent and correlated states of a Josephson junction are constructed. Quantum current and voltage noises are calculated. The influence of an external current and of parametric buildup on the Josephson junction is discussed. The feasibility in principle of exciting correlated and coherent states in a Josephson junction is suggested.

V. I. Man'ko

Papers

Integrals of the Motion, Green Functions, and Coherent States of Dynamical Systems

Coherent states and excitation of N-dimensional non-stationary forced oscillator

Coherent states of a charged particle in a time-dependent uniform electromagnetic field of a plane current

Loss energy states of nonstationary quantum systems

Correlated states in quantum electronics (resonant circuit)