Abstract

We make a connection between two descriptions of spontaneous decay of a two-level atom. The first description is provided by the neoclassical radiation theory put forth by Crisp and Jaynes¹ and Stroud and Jaynes.² Hence the “spontaneous” decay of a single atom is described as the result of classical radiation reaction on an oscillating atomic dipole. Although the theory is conceptually elegant, it has been rejected for its disagreement with experimental data. We show that the neoclassical radiation theory makes an unexpected comeback as an integral part of the Monte-Carlo wave function (MCWF) method.

© 1994 IEEE