Physics 8.421

 

                             Atomic and optical Physics

 

 

 

Room

Tel.

e-mail

Lecturer:

Prof. Wolfgang Ketterle

26-243

253-6815

ketterle@mit.edu

Assistants:

Rob Clark

E15-427

253-2852

robclark@MIT.EDU

 

Jongchul Mun

26-269

452-2501

jcmun@mit.edu

 

Bonna Newman

13-2069

253-4893

bonna@mit.edu

 

Jaroslaw Labaziewicz

E15-427 (lab)

26-201 (office)

253-2852

labaziew@MIT.EDU

 

Christian Schunck

26-265

253-6677

chs@mit.edu

Secretary:

Joanna Keseberg

26-237

253-6830

j_k@MIT.EDU

 

Lectures:     Wednesday, Friday (occasionally Mondays), 9:30-11:00, Room 24-115

                        First day of classes: Wed, 2/8

                        Last day of classes Fri, 5/12

 

Office hours:  by appointment (just send an e-mail ….)

 

 

Midterm quiz

Sample quiz from 2004           Quiz 2006       Solutions 2006

 

MIT grade management

Course calendar    Recommended books     Course requirements

2004 web site       Preliminary list of topics

 

Assignments:

Assignment 1              due Friday 2/17          

Assignment 2              due Friday 2/24          

Assignment 3              due Friday 3/10          

Assignment 4              due Friday 3/17          

Assignment 5              due Friday 3/24          

Assignment 6              due Monday 4/10       

Assignment 7              due Friday 4/14          

Assignment 8              due Friday 4/21          

Assignment 9              due Friday 4/28          

Assignment 10                        due Friday 5/5

 

Term paper                  due Wed 5/17

Covered Topics and Course Notes:

 

0.  Introduction                                                                                                               [L1]

1.  The two-state systems: Resonance                                                                       [L1-L3]

2.  Atoms – some basics                                                                                            [L4-L5]

    Chapter 2.8  Helium atom                                                                                           [L6]

3.  Fine structure and Lamb shift                                                                               [L5-L6]

4, 5 Hyperfine structure; Magnetic fields                                                                 [L7, L8]

6.  Atoms in electric fields Index of refraction                                                          [L8, L9]

7. Interaction of an Atom with an Electro-Magnetic Field                                    [L10-L12]

    Einstein’s A and B coefficient

    Saturation of transitions                                                                                            [L12]

8.  Line shapes                                                                                                      [L13-L17]

    Demtroeder book on pressure broadening

9.  Two-photon transitions                                                                                    [L18-L19]

10.  Coherence       Addition on quantum beats                                                    [L20-L23]

      Paper on spectroscopy with subnatural linewidth

      Papers and book chapters on three-level coherence and Dicke superradiance

      10.5.5 Forward light scattering      10.5.6. BEC Rayleigh superradiance

      Dicke paper                                                                                                            [L24]

11. Precision measurements in atomic physics

      11.1  Violations of time reversal symmetry and parity       Review paper               [L25]

      11.2  Atom interferometry      Review paper                                                          [L26]