Quantum Physics of Light and Matter - Quantum Properties of Light

  • Luca Salasnich

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The video covers the quantum properties of the electromagnetic field, i.e. the quantum properties of light.

It is divided in 5 segments.

The first segment discusses the quantum electromagnetic field and the associated Fock states. The second segment analyzes the coherent states of light, introduced by Roy Glauber in 1963. In the third segment the author gives a review of the quantum statistical physics for a gas of photons, while the fourth segment derives the thermal energy of a gas of photons and the Planck law of the black body radiation.

The last segment investigates the zero-point energy of the electromagnetic field and one of its experimental consequences: the Casimir effect).

The ideal viewer is a MSc or PhD student of Physics or Chemistry or Engineering. The viewer will learn the main properties of light described as a gas of photons both at zero and finite temperature.

Introduction

Addressed to MSc or PhD students of Physics, Chemistry or Engineering, who can learn the main properties of light described as a gas of photons.

About The Author

Luca Salasnich

Luca Salasnich is an Associate Professor of Theoretical Physics of Matter at University of Padova, Italy. He was previously a research scientist with the Italian National Research Council (CNR). Dr. Salasnich was awarded an MSc in Physics by the University of Padova in 1991, and his PhD in Theoretical Physics by the University of Florence in 1995. His fields of research are condensed matter theory and statistical physics, in particular nonlinear phenomena and macroscopic quantum effects (like superfluidity and superconductivity) in ultra-cold atomic gases and other many-body systems. At the University of Padova, Dr. Salasnich is a member of the Scientific Committee of Area 2 (Physical Sciences) and President of the Teaching Council for the BSc in Optics and Optometrics. He has written more than 130 scientific papers for international journals, with over 2500 citations.

 

About this video

Author(s)
Luca Salasnich
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-63285-4
Online ISBN
978-3-030-63285-4
Total duration
46 min
Publisher
Springer, Cham
Copyright information
© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020

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Video Transcript

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Hi. This video is about the quantum properties of light. First, I will review the main properties of the quantum electromagnetic field. Then I will discuss the Fock states, which are crucial in the discussion of quantum states of light. But I will also introduce the coherent states of light, which are indeed a useful tool, in particular for describing the quantum classical correspondence of light and laser field.

Then I will consider the light in the presence of a thermal bath, and for doing so, I will introduce the partition function of photons, and I will analyze the thermal energy of photons deriving from it, the familiar Planck’s law. Finally, I will consider the zero point energy of the quantum electromagnetic field and I will show that in some cases, this zero point energy, which is formally infinite, can give finite results. And a typical example of this is the Casimir effect. I hope that you will enjoy this video.