Abstract
The transient behavior of the density operator for radiation in a single-mode cavity at a finite temperature is considered. Any initial state will evolve toward thermal equilibrium because of the interaction with the mirrors. This steady state is determined uniquely by the temperature, but the transient state depends on the initial conditions. The equation of motion for the matrix elements of the density operator is solved analytically, given an arbitrary initial state. The factorial moments, the generating function, and the time-dependent spectral distribution are also obtained. The results yield known expressions in the appropriate limits.
© 1996 Optical Society of America
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