The XIX International Conference on Laser Spectroscopy, one of the leading conferences in the very diverse and still growing field of laser spectroscopy, was held in Hokkaido, Japan, on June 7-12, 2009. This volume, comprising a collection of invited contributions presented at the conference, will report on the latest developments in the area of laser spectroscopy and related fields: cold atoms and molecules, degenerate quantum gases, quantum optics, quantum information processing, precision measurements, atomic clock, ultra-fast lasers and strong field phenomena, and novel spectroscopic applications.

The development of new highly nonlinear fibers - referred to as microstructured fibers, holey fibers and photonic crystal fibers - is the next generation technology for all-optical signal processing and biomedical applications. This new edition has been thoroughly updated to incorporate these key technology developments. The book presents sound coverage of the fundamentals of lightwave technology, along with material on pulse compression techniques and rare-earth-doped fiber amplifiers and lasers. The extensively revised chapters include information on fiber-optic communication systems and the ultrafast signal processing techniques that make use of nonlinear phenomena in optical fibers. New material focuses on the applications of highly nonlinear fibers in areas ranging from wavelength laser tuning and nonlinear spectroscopy to biomedical imaging and frequency metrology. Technologies such as quantum cryptography, quantum computing, and quantum communications are also covered in a new chapter. This book will be an ideal reference for: R&D engineers working on developing next generation optical components; scientists involved with research on fiber amplifiers and lasers; graduate students and researchers working in the fields of optical communications and quantum information. The only book on how to develop nonlinear fiber optic applications Two new chapters on the latest developments; Highly Nonlinear Fibers and Quantum Applications Coverage of biomedical applications

This graduate-level textbook gives an introductory overview of the fundamentals of quantum nonlinear optics. It deals with the organization of radiation field, interaction between electronic system and radiation field, statistics of light, and mutual manipulation of light and matter. It also covers laser oscillation, dynamics of light, nonlinear optical response, and nonlinear spectroscopy, as well as ultrashort and ultrastrong laser pulse. In addition, latest results of the frontier of this science are presented. Problems and solutions help the reader to master and review the material.

Photonic band gap crystals offer unique ways to tailor light and the propagation of electromagnetic waves. In analogy to electrons in a crystal, EM waves propagating in a structure with a periodically-modulated dielectric constant are organized into photonic bands separated by gaps in which propagating states are forbidden. Proposed applications of such photonic band gap crystals, operating at frequencies from microwave to optical, include zero- threshold lasers, low-loss resonators and cavities, and efficient microwave antennas. Spontaneous emission is suppressed for photons in the photonic band gap, offering novel approaches to manipulating the EM field and creating high-efficiency light-emitting structures. Photonic Band Gap Materials identifies three most promising areas of research. The first is materials fabrication, involving the creation of high quality, low loss, periodic dielectric structures. The smallest photonic crystals yet fabricated have been made by machining Si wafers along (110), and some have lattice constants as small as 500 microns. The second area is in applications. Possible applications presented are microwave mirrors, directional antennas, resonators (especially in the 2 GHz region), filters, waveguides, Y splitters, and resonant microcavities. The third area covers fundamentally new physical phenomena in condensed matter physics and quantum optics. An excellent review of recent development, covering theoretical, experimental and applied aspects. Interesting and stimulating reading for active researchers, as well as a useful reference for non-specialists.

Optics and photonics technologies are ubiquitous: they are responsible for the displays on smart phones and computing devices, optical fiber that carries the information in the internet, advanced precision manufacturing, enhanced defense capabilities, and a plethora of medical diagnostics tools. The opportunities arising from optics and photonics offer the potential for even greater societal impact in the next few decades, including solar power generation and new efficient lighting that could transform the nation's energy landscape and new optical capabilities that will be essential to support the continued exponential growth of the Internet. As described in the National Research Council report Optics and Photonics: Essential Technologies for our Nation, it is critical for the United States to take advantage of these emerging optical technologies for creating new industries and generating job growth. The report assesses the current state of optical science and engineering in the United States and abroad-including market trends, workforce needs, and the impact of photonics on the national economy. It identifies the technological opportunities that have arisen from recent advances in, and applications of, optical science and engineering. The report also calls for improved management of U.S. public and private research and development resources, emphasizing the need for public policy that encourages adoption of a portfolio approach to investing in the wide and diverse opportunities now available within photonics. Optics and Photonics: Essential Technologies for our Nation is a useful overview not only for policymakers, such as decision-makers at relevant Federal agencies on the current state of optics and photonics research and applications but also for individuals seeking a broad understanding of the fields of optics and photonics in many arenas.

This book addresses fabrication as well as characterization and modeling of semiconductor nanostructures in the optical regime, with a focus on nonlinear effects. The visible range as well as near and far infrared spectral region will be considered with a view to different envisaged applications. The book covers the current key challenges of the research in the area, including: exploiting new material platforms, fully extending the device operation into the nonlinear regime, adding re-configurability to the envisaged devices and proposing new modeling tools to help in conceiving new functionalities. • Explores several topics in the field of semiconductor nonlinear nanophotonics, including fabrication, characterization and modeling of semiconductor nanostructures in the optical regime, with a focus on nonlinear effects • Describes the research challenges in the field of optical metasurfaces in the nonlinear regime • Reviews the use and achievements of all-dielectric nanoantennas for strengthening the nonlinear optical response • Describes both theoretical and experimental aspects of photonic devices based on semiconductor optical nanoantennas and metasurfaces • Gathers contributions from several leading groups in this research field to provide a thorough and complete overview of the current state of the art in the field of semiconductor nonlinear nanophotonics Costantino De Angelis has been full professor of electromagnetic fields at the University of Brescia since 1998. He is an OSA Fellow and has been responsible for several university research contracts in the last 20 years within Europe, the United States, and Italy. His technical interests are in optical antennas and nanophotonics. He is the author of over 150 peer-reviewed scientific journal articles. Giuseppe Leo has been a full professor in physics at Paris Diderot University since 2004, and in charge of the nonlinear devices group of MPQ Laboratory since 2006. His research areas include nonlinear optics, micro- and nano-photonics, and optoelectronics, with a focus on AlGaAs platform. He has coordinated several research programs and coauthored 100 peer-reviewed journal articles, 200 conference papers, 10 book chapters and also has four patents. Dragomir Neshev is a professor in physics and the leader of the experimental photonics group in the Nonlinear Physics Centre at Australian National University (ANU). His activities span over several branches of optics, including nonlinear periodic structures, singular optics, plasmonics, and photonic metamaterials. He has coauthored 200 publications in international peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Ideal for cell biologists, life scientists, biomedical engineers, and clinicians, this handbook provides comprehensive treatment of the theories, techniques, and biomedical applications of nonlinear optics and microscopy.