10

ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION AND MATTER

We shall also use the form where a discrete sum over k with an innite number of terms is used. This corresponds to quantization in a box with length L. The prefactor in a one-dimensional Fourier series becomes 1/ L instead of 1/ 2 so in three dimensions we get a pre-factor 1/ V . One can consider the integral form of the Fourier transform as the limiting case where L (and V ) go to innity and the sum becomes an integral. If we use a Fourier series instead of a Fourier integral we get A(x) = 4 V 1
k, ikx (k) a (k) eikx (k) + a (k) e

2k

(1.30)

The summation over is understood to be from 1 to 2. We do not explicitly show the dependence of a (and a ) upon k because k = |k| so it is specied by k. We allow for complex (k) for applications with circular polarized electromagnetic radiation. The (k) are real for linearly polarized radiation, and can in that case be taken outside the square bracket part of Equation (1.29) and Equation (1.30). The expressions Equation (1.29) and Equation (1.30) explicitly show that A is real because A is the sum of two terms that are each others complex conjugate. We will sometimes write h.c. (Hermitian conjugate) for the second term. We have discussed how to quantize the part of the classical Hamiltonian given in Equation (1.1). We will now quantize the classical Hamiltonian Equation (1.20) after which A and Hem are operators. We shall see that the operator A and thus Hem create and annihilate photons. Very interesting stuff indeed!

1.2 SECOND QUANTIZATION 1.2.1 Commutation Relations

Plancks 1901 treatment of black-body radiation and Einsteins 1905 discussion of the photo-electric effect assume that electromagnetic energy Equation (1.20) is quantized. Likewise, Compton scattering shows that the momentum of the electromagnetic eld is quantized as well. Besides the fact that quantization itself needs to be explained, both quantizations have specic values for their quanta whose values need to be explained as well. The quantizations of energy and momentum of the electromagnetic eld and the numerical values of their quanta are introduced at the start of most Quantum Physics courses, but they are not derived there. This was also the case historically: Second Quantization, which provides this derivation, was not developed until about 1930. The quantization of the electromagnetic eld contains many subtleties that have given rise to a variety of sophisticated treatments. We will not do that here but rather follow a more heuristic path.