ABSTRACT
The quantum electrodynamical (QED) theory of the spontaneous decay of a single excited two-level atom was generalized and applied to the super-radiance problem by several authors. This chapter considers the evolution of the system of atom plus field, applying an approach equivalent to the master equation method. It uses the diagram representation of the quantum perturbation theory for the density matrix of the system. The diagram method provides an effective tool for the derivation of the master equations. The chapter presents the quantum theory of super-radiance of an extended three-dimensional polyatomic system within the Markov and the rotating wave approximations and neglecting retardation. It discusses the spatial properties of super-radiance, including the angular correlation of photons, which have been mentioned in earlier works by R. H. Dicke and V. Ernst and P. Stehle.
