« Back to Teaching

DENSITY MATRIX METHODS IN OPTICAL SPECTROSCOPY

A PDF file is available on request (Eric.Vauthey@unige.ch).

I. THEORETICAL TOOLS

1. Single quantum system
   » Recapitulation of elementary quantum theory
   » Ket and Bra
   » The time-dependent Schrödinger equation
   » Superposition states, non-stationary states
   » Superposition states and expectation value
2. The density matrix formalism
   » Ensembles and coherences
   » Matrix formulation of the expectation value
   » The density matrix
   » Phenomenological description of relaxation
   » Coherence
   » The Pauli master equation
   » A system in a bath

II.EXPERIMENTAL TOOLS

1. Generation of ultrashort pulses
   » Introduction
   » Optical pulses
   » Linear propagation in a dispersive medium
   » Mode-locking: the principles
   » Mode-locking techniques
   » Mode-locked laser output
   » Amplification of ultrashort pulses
   » Frequency conversion of ultrashort pulses
2. Theoretical description of pump-probe techniques
   » Principles
   » Density matrix elements and Green's functions
   » Theory of perturbation in light-matter interaction using Feynman diagrams
   » Two-level system
   » Calculation of the polarisation
   » Linear optical response
   » Second order optical response
   » Third order optical response

III.COHERENT PROCESSES AND SPECTROSCOPIES

1. Introduction
2. Photon echo
3. Vibrational coherence
4. Multidimensional optical spectroscopies

Contact:

Eric Vauthey

Physical Chemistry Department - Sciences II - University of Geneva
30, Quai Ernest Ansermet - CH-1211 Geneva 4 (Switzerland)

© All rights reserved by Eric Vauthey and the University of Geneva

Design and code by Guillaume Duvanel