Chapter 4 Canonical quantum description of light propagation in dielectric media
Abstract
This chapter discusses the canonical quantum descriptions of light propagation in a nonlinear dispersionless dielectric medium and in linear and nonlinear dispersive dielectric media. The chapter reviews spatio-temporal descriptions of the electromagnetic field in linear and nonlinear dielectric media, applying macroscopic and microscopic theories. Macroscopic quantum electrodynamics arises through reduction of a microscopic description and through immediate application of a quantization scheme to macroscopic fields. The chapter discusses the both macroscopic theories from the free-space quantum electrodynamics and microscopic theories, as related to the macroscopic descriptions. The chapter discusses the quasimode theory of macroscopic canonical quantization and the scattering operator theory. As a criterion for the correctness of the theories, equivalence between the Heisenberg equations of motion for the electric displacement and magnetic induction fields and the Maxwell equations is required.
- Publication:
-
Progess in Optics
- Pub Date:
- 2002
- DOI:
- 10.1016/S0079-6638(02)80028-2
- Bibcode:
- 2002PrOpt..43..295L