ON THE CONCEPT OF COHERENCE IN THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF SOLIDS.

A discussion of the concept of quantum mechanical coherence in its most general form is followed by considering the coherent oscillation of the charge cloud associated with a collection of two-level atoms showing its close relation to a superradiant state. The coherent phenomena of photon echo and self-induced transparency in ruby are treated; the fully quantified radiation field is considered as an example of a system exhibiting quantum mechanical coherence; the concept of a general coherent state is developed; the role of coherence in the electron superfluid is considered. Refs.

ON THE CONCEPT OF COHERENCE IN THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF SOLIDS. Academic Article