Quantum Optics with Single Atoms and Single Photons

An atom strongly coupled to a high-finesse resonator forms a microscopic optical system in which the interaction of single atoms with single photons has significant consequences. This is in contrast to a typical optical system in which a field composed of many photons interacts with a medium consisting of many atoms. This unique optical system has been used in studies of the fundamental matter-radiation interaction on the single quantum level, in quantum computation, and in real-time, high-position-resolution detection of single atoms