This book presents a quantum framework for understanding inelastic light scattering which is consistent with the classical descriptions of Raman phenomena and Rayleigh scattering, thus creating a unified theoretical picture of light scattering. The Raman effect was discovered in 1928 and has since proved to be one of the most powerful tools to study the molecular structure of gases, liquids, and crystals. The subsequent development of new scientific disciplines such as nonlinear optics, quantum optics, plasmonics, metamaterials, and the theory of open quantum systems has changed our views on the nature of Rayleigh and Raman scattering. Today, there are many excellent books on the theory and applications of light scattering, but a consistent description of light scattering from a unified viewpoint is missing. The authors' approach has the power to re-derive the results of both classical and quantum approaches while also addressing many questions that are scattered across the research literature: Why is Rayleigh scattering coherent while Raman scattering is not, although both phenomena are caused by the incidence of a coherent wave? Why are coherent Stokes and coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering caused by two coherent incident waves both always coherent? This book answers these questions and more, and explains state-of-the-art experimental results with a first-principles approach that avoids phenomenological arguments. Many of the results presented are appearing in book form for the first time, making this book especially useful for young researchers entering the field. The book reviews basic concepts of quantum mechanics and quantum optics and comes equipped with problems and solutions to develop understanding of the key mathematical techniques. The rigorous approach presented in the book is elegant and readily grasped, and will therefore prove useful to both theorists and experimentalists at the graduate level and above, as well as engineers who use Raman scattering methods in their work.

Autorentext

Alexander A. Lisyansky is a Professor of Physics at Queens College (the City University of New York). He has taught undergraduate and graduate students for over 30 years and has authored over 200 research papers and 4 books. Dr. Lisyansky's current research focuses on quantum optics, plasmonics, and condensed matter theory.

Vladislav Yu. Shishkov is a researcher at the Dukhov Research Institute of Automatics (VNIIA), Moscow, Russia. He is also a lecturer at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology. Current research of Shishkov focuses on quantum optics, plasmonics and Bose-Einstein condensates in organic microcavities.

Alexey P. Vinogradov is a Head Scientist at the Institute for Theoretical and Applied Electromagnetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences. also holds the position of Professor at Moscow Physical Technical Institute. Current research of Prof. Vinogradov is focused on problems in classical and quantum electrodynamics including homogenization and electromagnetic characterization of bulk metamaterials, quantum description of quantized electromagnetic field interaction with matter.

Evgeny S. Andrianov is a Leader of Laboratory of Quantum Optics of the Dukhov Research Institute of Automatics, Russia. also holds a position of Assistant Professor at Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Russia. Current research of Dr. Andrianov is focused on problems in quantum electrodynamics, quantum optics, and the theory of open quantum systems. He is an author of more than 100 papers in refereed international journals and one monograph.