Rotating wave approximation
The rotating wave approximation is an approximation used in atom optics and magnetic resonance. In this approximation, terms in a Hamiltonian which oscillate rapidly are neglected. This is a valid approximation when the applied electromagnetic radiation is near resonance with an atomic transition, and the intensity is low. Explicitly, terms in the Hamiltonians which oscillate with frequencies are neglected, while terms which oscillate with frequencies
are kept, where
is the light frequency and
is a transition frequency.