ABSTRACT
Approximation methods are developed for systems where the time dependence of the Hamiltonian is small, slowly varying or rapidly varying. These correspond to perturbation, adiabatic and sudden approximations respectively. In this chapter we consider the time-dependent perturbation theory applicable for small time-dependent perturbation. This is the case when we wish to investigate the response of systems to incident radiation. The incident electromagnetic wave makes the electric and magnetic potentials to oscillate and the perturbation is usually very small compared with the static Hamiltonian. The theory of time-dependent perturbation was developed by Dirac in 1927 [1]. In this chapter we discuss the theory for constant and harmonic perturbations applied during a finite time interval, adiabatic and sudden perturbations.
