COURSE HOLDER
Salvatore Micalizio

COURSE DESCRIPTION
The course aims to provide some basic concepts of atomic physics and illustrate their application to frequency metrology. We will describe the main phenomena related to the radiation-matter interaction, including the most advanced techniques for manipulating and cooling atoms.

COURSE TOPICS

• Classical atom-field interaction
• The end of classical physics
• Postulates of Quantum Mechanics
• Schrodinger equation for the Hydrogen atom
• Matrix formulation of Quantum Mechanics
• Two-level atom: the Rabi problem
• The Bloch sphere
• Density operator and density matrix
• Optical Bloch Equations: dynamics and steady state
• Attenuation of light: Lambert-Beer law
• Ramsey interaction
• Three level systems
• Lambda Scheme: Coherent Population Trapping (CPT)
• Doppler broadening of spectral lines
• Laser cooling of atoms
• INRiM atomic clocks

HOURS
18

FREQUENCY
Annual

LEVEL
Basic