Introduction to Optics

Description

Since the discovery of the laser in 1960 and optical fibers in 1970, optics has undergone dramatic changes that accentuate its multi-disciplinary character. This text covers essential concepts and reports the key developments and progress in current knowledge in the field. Inspired by the style of Richard Feynman, the method of presentation emphasizes "telling" optics, rather than deducing it from fundamental laws, as well as tactfully using mathematical tools so as not to obscure the physical phenomena of interest. For its excellent teaching approach, the book received the Arnulf-Francon Award of the French Optical Society. The concepts are formulated in a way such that the necessary mathematical tools do not hinder comprehension of the phenomena. Global in vision, the book can also be used as a reference. In addition to the traditional aspects of optics, it includes the tools and methods currently used by researchers and engineers, as well as explanation and implications of the most recent developments. Orders of Magnitude in Optics....Pages 1-55 Electromagnetic Waves....Pages 57-90 Geometrical Optics....Pages 91-148 Polarized Light—Laws of Reflection....Pages 149-177 Birefringence....Pages 179-258 Interference....Pages 259-298 Diffraction....Pages 299-349 Index of Refraction....Pages 351-377 Lasers....Pages 379-448 Nonlinear Optics....Pages 449-477 Raman-Brillouin-Rayleigh Diffusion....Pages 479-515 Guided Optics....Pages 517-566 Fourier Analysis and Fourier Transform....Pages 567-577