Even if you aren't a student, Loudon’s book serves as an incredible desk reference. The derivations are rigorous but accessible. It doesn't skip the "hard parts" just to be brief; it walks you through the commutation relations and field operators that define modern physics. Finding a PDF
The Loudon quantum theory of light has several important implications: loudon quantum theory of light pdf
If you’re looking for a deep dive into the subject, here is why this specific book remains the gold standard: 1. The Bridge Between Classical and Quantum Even if you aren't a student, Loudon’s book
The book details how the electromagnetic field can be treated as a collection of independent quantum mechanical harmonic oscillators. Adding a photon to the field. Annihilation Operators ( ): Removing a photon from the field. Number States: Understanding the Fock state representation. 3. Coherence and Interference Finding a PDF The Loudon quantum theory of
: Detailed exploration of temporal and spatial coherence, including the Hanbury Brown-Twiss effect and photon bunching/antibunching.