Spin angular momentum of photons and the associated polarization of light has been known for many years. However, it is only over the last decade or so that physically realizable laboratory light beams have been used to study the orbital angular momentum of light. In many respects, orbital and spin angular momentum behave in a similar manner, but they differ significantly in others. In particular, orbital angular momentum offers exciting new possibilities with respect to the optical manipulation of matter and to the study of the entanglement of photons. Bringing together 44 landmark papers, Optical Angular Momentum offers the first comprehensive overview of the subject as it has developed. It chronicles the first decade of this important subject and gives a definitive statement of the current status of all aspects of optical angular momentum. In each chapter the editors include a concise introduction, putting the selected papers into context and outlining the key articles associated with this aspect of the subject.

This book is aimed at those readers who already have some knowledge of mathematical methods and have also been introduced to the basic ideas of quantum optics. It should be attractive to students who have already explored one of the more introductory texts such as Loudon's The quantum theory of light (2/e, 1983, OUP) and are seeking to acquire the mathematical skills used in real problems. This book is not primarily about the physics of quantum optics but rather presents the mathematical methods widely used by workers in this field. There is no comparable book which covers either the range or the depth of mathematical techniques.

Spin angular momentum of photons and the associated polarization of light has been known for many years. However, it is only over the last decade or so that physically realizable laboratory light beams have been used to study the orbital angular momentum of light. In many respects, orbital and spin angular momentum behave in a similar manner, but they differ significantly in others. In particular, orbital angular momentum offers exciting new possibilities with respect to the optical manipulation of matter and to the study of the entanglement of photons.
Bringing together 44 landmark papers, Optical Angular Momentum offers the first comprehensive overview of the subject as it has developed. It chronicles the first decade of this important subject and gives a definitive statement of the current status of all aspects of optical angular momentum. In each chapter the editors include a concise introduction, putting the selected papers into context and outlining the key articles associated with this aspect of the subject.

Describing the phase of an electromagnetic field mode or harmonic oscillator has been an obstacle since the early days of modern quantum theory. The quantum phase operator was even more problematic with the invention of the maser and laser in the 1950s and 1960s. This problem was not solved until the Pegg-Barnett formalism was developed in the 1980s. Edited by one of the scientists who created this key solution, The Quantum Phase Operator: A Review charts the development of phase and angle operators from their first appearance to modern theory. Bringing together vital works that have been published on the subject, the book presents the ideas that led to the current theory of the phase operator and provides a complete picture of the progress that has followed since then. With introductions by the editors to put the papers in context and unify the content of the book, each section focuses on a different aspect of phase operators. The editors also chronologically organize the papers within the sections to highlight how scientific thought has evolved, if at all, over time. A collection of important relevant material that is scattered throughout the literature, this volume chronicles the history of the various facets of the quantum phase operator, promoting a solid foundation in quantum theory.

Describing the phase of an electromagnetic field mode or harmonic oscillator has been an obstacle since the early days of modern quantum theory. The quantum phase operator was even more problematic with the invention of the maser and laser in the 1950s and 1960s. This problem was not solved until the Pegg-Barnett formalism was developed in the 1980s. Edited by one of the scientists who created this key solution, The Quantum Phase Operator: A Review charts the development of phase and angle operators from their first appearance to modern theory. Bringing together vital works that have been published on the subject, the book presents the ideas that led to the current theory of the phase operator and provides a complete picture of the progress that has followed since then. With introductions by the editors to put the papers in context and unify the content of the book, each section focuses on a different aspect of phase operators. The editors also chronologically organize the papers within the sections to highlight how scientific thought has evolved, if at all, over time. A collection of important relevant material that is scattered throughout the literature, this volume chronicles the history of the various facets of the quantum phase operator, promoting a solid foundation in quantum theory.

Recent experimental progress has enabled cold atomic gases to be studied at nano-kelvin temperatures, creating new states of matter where quantum degeneracy occurs - Bose-Einstein condensates and degenerate Fermi gases. Such quantum states are of macroscopic dimensions. This book presents the phase space theory approach for treating the physics of degenerate quantum gases, an approach already widely used in quantum optics. However, degenerate quantum gases involve massive bosonic and fermionic atoms, not massless photons. The book begins with a review of Fock states for systems of identical atoms, where large numbers of atoms occupy the various single particle states or modes. First, separate modes are considered, and here the quantum density operator is represented by a phase space distribution function of phase space variables which replace mode annihilation, creation operators, the dynamical equation for the density operator determines a Fokker-Planck equation for the distribution function, and measurable quantities such as quantum correlation functions are given as phase space integrals. Finally, the phase space variables are replaced by time dependent stochastic variables satisfying Langevin stochastic equations obtained from the Fokker-Planck equation, with stochastic averages giving the measurable quantities. Second, a quantum field approach is treated, the density operator being represented by a distribution functional of field functions which replace field annihilation, creation operators, the distribution functional satisfying a functional FPE, etc. A novel feature of this book is that the phase space variables for fermions are Grassmann variables, not c-numbers. However, we show that Grassmann distribution functions and functionals still provide equations for obtaining both analytic and numerical solutions. The book includes the necessary mathematics for Grassmann calculus and functional calculus, and detailed derivations of key results are provided.

This work presents the mathematical methods widely used by workers in the field of quantum optics. It deals with the physical assumptions which lead to the models and approximations employed, but the main purpose of the text is to give a firm grounding in those techniques needed to derive analytical solutions to problems.