Abstract

Canonical quantization¹ of the electromagnetic (EM) field is carried for the situation where the total charge and current densities are the sum of contributions from: (a) neutral dielectric atoms whose effect is to be described purely classically in terms of a spatially dependent electric permittivity, and (b) neutral radiative atoms whose interaction with the EM field is to be treated quantum mechanically. The results apply to the theoretical treatment of numerous quantum optical experiments involving such interactions in the presence of passive, lossless, dispersionless, linear, classical optics devices such as resonator cavities, lenses, beam splitters, and so on.

© 1994 IEEE