Ph.D. Program in Physics
The Graduate Center CUNY
Photonics II [PHYS 85200]
Spring 2021
Instructor​: Gabriele Grosso
Office​: ASRC 2.314
E-mail​ : ggrosso@gc.cuny.edu ​URL​: ​https://grossolab.ws.gc.cuny.edu/
Class hours​: Th, 11:15 am – 1:45 pm (New York), Virtual
Office hours​: To accommodate students in different time zones, I will hold flexible office hours on Friday
from 8am to 6pm ​by appointment only​. Please set appointments at least one day in advance.
Class Communication:​ We will use Slack as a general communication channel. Direct Slack messages
can be used to raise issues or arrange an individual meeting. An invitation to join the Slack channel of the
class will be sent out on the first day of class.
Course Lectures:​ All lectures will be online via Zoom. A Zoom link will be provided to the students
enrolled in the class before the beginning of the course. Class materials, including Zoom links, will be
posted on BlackBoard platform which will allow us to have a central location for lecture notes, handouts,
and recorded media.
Course Materials:​ There is no required textbook for this course. Whenever possible, I will use resources
that are freely available on the web or available through the CUNY library. I will share links to the most
relevant resources, along with pointers to specific pages/chapters. ​Optional textbooks​: C.G.Gerry and
P.L.Knight - Introductory Quantum Optics; A. Aspect, C. Fabre, and G. Grynberg - Introduction to
quantum optics; H-A. Bachor and T. C. Ralph - A Guide to Experiments in Quantum Optics.
Expectations for Participants:​ As a participant in this course, I expect you to treat all members of the
group with respect regardless of their race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or religious background.
I expect you to behave honestly, following rules concerning homework and exams, without plagiarize
solutions or fabricating modeling results. I additionally ask that you provide thoughtful, constructive
feedback on the course material. I ask that you bring any issues, conflicts, or other problems that cannot
be readily resolved to my attention.
Prerequisites​: Quantum Mechanics, Electrodynamics
Learning Goals:​ The student will assimilate basic concepts and theoretical tools in quantum optics, will be
able to discuss the quantization of the radiation field, will learn how to describe various optical-quantum
systems in fundamental experiments and in applications. The student will also learn experimental
methods for single photon detection and statistics. The course aims at guiding students to develop
independent ideas on experiments in quantum optics, atomic and condensed matter physics.
Tentative Outline:​ This is a graduate course on Photonics with emphasis on ideas and experiments
ranging from quantum optics to condensed matter physics. The course is complementary to the course
“Photonics I” (Fall 2020). The course includes in-person laboratory classes and hand-on experience with
single-photon measurements. The following topics will be covered:
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Overview on Classical and Semiclassical Light–Matter Interactions.
Quantization of the classical electromagnetic field.
Quantum Harmonic Oscillator.
Coherent states and their properties.
Quantum theory of radiation detection.
Emission and absorption of radiation: Jaynes-Cummings model and dressed states.
Non-classical states of radiation.
Quantum mechanics of the beam splitter.
Quantum measurements.
Technological applications.
Grading​:
● Homework - 25%
● Midterm - 25%
● Final - 50%