Abstract
So far we discussed propagation of light and its reflection and transmission (or refraction) at an interface of dielectric media. We described characteristics of light from the point of view of an electromagnetic wave. In this chapter, we describe properties of light in relation to quantum mechanics. To this end, we start with Planck’s law of radiation that successfully reproduced experimental results related to a blackbody radiation. Before this law had been established, Rayleigh–Jeans law failed to explain the experimental results at a high frequency region of radiation (the ultraviolet catastrophe). The Planck’s law of radiation led to the discovery of light quanta. Einstein interpreted Planck’s law of radiation on the basis of a model of two-level atoms. This model includes so-called Einstein A and B coefficients that are important in optics applications, especially lasers. We derive these coefficients from a classical point of view based on a dipole oscillation. We also consider a close relationship between electromagnetic waves confined in a cavity and a motion of a harmonic oscillator.
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Hotta, S. (2020). Light Quanta: Radiation and Absorption. In: Mathematical Physical Chemistry. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-2225-3_9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-2225-3_9
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