Photon statistics in some fully quantized models of the interaction of a two-level atom with a single-mode radiation field have been studied using the operator equations of motion. Expressions for the photon number distribution and the mean photon number are presented for various initial conditions. It is found that the mean photon number may show decays and revivals of coherence similar to those of the atomic inversion in the coherent-state Jaynes-Cummings model. Application of these models to the study of multiphoton laser, absorption, and emission processes is also discussed.

• Received 10 August 1981

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.25.3206