Quantum Properties of Light

Quantum processes dominate the fields of atomic and molecular physics. The treatment here is limited to a review of the characteristics of absorption, emission, and stimulated emission which are essential to an understanding of lasers and their applications. Atomic transitions which emit or absorb visible light are generally electronic transitions, which can be pictured in terms of electron jumps between quantized atomic energy levels.

Lasers

The stimulated emission of light is the crucial quantum process necessary for the operation of a laser.