Abstract

The quantum theory of electromagnetic fields in dielectrics is attracting growing interest because of a variety of new quantum-limited optical experiments and because of the extensive use of diverse dielectric materials in optoelectronic systems operating near the quantum limit. Radiation interacts with a dielectric during propagation. Therefore it is important in this case to consider the field and the matter as a joint, quantum system and to take the matter degrees of freedom into account correctly.

© 1993 Optical Society of America