We address several estimation problems in quantum optics by means of the maximum-likelihood principle. We consider Gaussian state estimation and the determination of the coupling parameters of quadratic Hamiltonians. Moreover, we analyze different schemes of phase-shift estimation. Finally, the absolute estimation of the quantum efficiency of both linear and avalanche photodetectors is studied....

The maximum-likelihood method for quantum estimation is reviewed and applied to the reconstruction of density matrix of spin and radiation as well as to the determination of several parameters of interest in quantum optics.

We study light propagation in the picture of semi-classical space-time that emerges in canonical quantum gravity in the loop representation. In such picture, where space-time exhibits a polymerlike structure at microscales, it is natural to expect departures from the perfect non-dispersiveness of ordinary vacuum. We evaluate these departures, computing the modi cations to Maxwell's equations du...

We clarify the controversy over coherent-state (CS) versus number-state (NS) pictures in quantum optics. The NS picture is equivalent to the CS picture, as long as phase φ in laser fields are randomly distributed, as Mølmer argues. However, claim by Rudolph and Sanders [Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 077903 (2001)] has a few gaps. First they make an assumption that is not necessarily true in calculation ...

für Naturforschung in cooperation with the Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Dieses Werk wurde im Jahr 2013 vom Verlag Zeitschrift für Naturforschung in Zusammenarbeit mit der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften e.V. digitalisiert und unter folgender Lizenz veröffentlicht: Creative Commons Namen...

To a great extent, the principles of nanooptics are the same as those of nearfield optics. The major part of Lukas Novotny and Bert Hecht’s Principles of Nano-Optics provides the reader with a comprehensive overview of important theoretical concepts and experimental techniques in near-field optics. Novotny is a professor in the departments of optics and of biomedical engineering and physics at ...