Interference of Atomic States

This monograph describes phenomena of atomic states interference and their applications to atomic spectroscopy. The theory of these phenomena is treated by means of several approaches beginning from the classical point of view and then by using more and more sophisticated considerations.

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This monograph is devoted to the description and interpretation of interference between quantum states of an atom, as manifested in the angular distribution and polarization of spontaneous emission and absorption. The basic phenomena are first introduced and explained in terms of the simple classical dipole model. A more quantitative description follows, making use of the density matrix formalism and the statistical tensor. The theoretical sections are complemented by detailed accounts of experimental methods and results, such that the monograph as a whole gives a comprehensive picture of this field.