Atomic, molecular, and optical physics Atomic, molecular, and optical physics Atomic, molecular, and optical physics (AMO) is the study of matter-matter and light-matter interactions; at the scale of one or a few atoms and energy scales around several electron volts. The three areas are closely interrelated. AMO theory includes classical, semi-classical and quantum treatments. Typically, the theory and applications of emission, absorption, scattering of electromagnetic radiation (light) from excited atoms and molecules, analysis of spectroscopy, generation of lasers and masers, and the optical properties of matter in general, fall into these categories. Atomic physics is the subfield of AMO that studies atoms as an isolated
Institute for Theoretical Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics who was later joined as joint director by Misha Lukin. In 2016 the director is Hossein Sadeghpour. Institute for Theoretical Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics The Institute for Theoretical Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics (ITAMP) is an international scientific learned society based at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was established in 1988 to alleviate a perceived shortage of theorists in atomic, molecular, and optical physics (AMO) at major universities throughout America. AMO concerns the study of matter-matter and light-matter interactions at the scale of one or a few atoms. The stated objectives of the Institute are: