The following excerpts from the preface give a good idea of the book’s style and target audience. “The book grew out of a 2-semester course in laser optics and quantum physics. It requires a solid understanding of elementary electromagnetism as well as at least one, but preferably two, semesters of quantum mechanics…Rather than treating any given topic in great depth, this book aims at broad coverage of the basic elements necessary to carry out research in quantum optics…We have always sacrificed rigor to physical insight and have used the concept of ‘simplest non-trivial example’ to illustrate techniques or results…In addition to being a textbook, this book contains many important formulas in quantum optics that are not found elsewhere…” There are also problems at the end of each chapter, but they are few and answers or solutions are not included.
Chapters 1–3 give a brief background on electromagnetism and quantum mechanics, Chapters 4–12 cover various topics from the semiclassical perspective (classically described light interacting with quantum-mechanically described matter). Chapter 13 quantizes fields by analogy to the quantum oscillator. It is followed by applications requiring full quantum description, culminating with the quantum theory of lasers in Chapter 19. Compared to the second edition, light forces and atomic motion were promoted to a separate chapter (Chapter 6); new sections appear on atom interferometry, induced transparency, slow light and the Monte Carlo wave function method; also added are new chapters on cavity QED, and quantum entanglement and information (Chapters 18 and 20).