A comprehensive and engaging textbook, covering the main areas of optics and its modern applications.

This award-winning book has been translated from the original French by the author and thoroughly updated. It gives an introduction to modern optics at an advanced level, taking a unique approach inspired by Richard Feynman.

Introduction to Optics is now available in a re-issued edition from Cambridge University Press. Designed to offer a comprehensive and engaging introduction to intermediate and upper level undergraduate physics and engineering students, this text also allows instructors to select specialized content to suit individual curricular needs and goals. Specific features of the text, in terms of coverage beyond traditional areas, include extensive use of matrices in dealing with ray tracing, polarization, and multiple thin-film interference; three chapters devoted to lasers; a separate chapter on the optics of the eye; and individual chapters on holography, coherence, fiber optics, interferometry, Fourier optics, nonlinear optics, and Fresnel equations.

The following basic physics topics are presented in this book: geometrical optics diffractive optics hints of nonlinear optics

The book introduces university undergraduates to the fascinating world of the science of light. Contemporary physics programmes are under increasing pressure to provide a balance between coverage of several traditional branches of physics and to expose students to emerging research areas. It is therefore important to provide an in depth introduction to some branches of physics, such as optics, to students who may not become professional physicists but will need physics in their chosen professions. Some Universities offer optics as semester courses while others offer it as modules within general physics courses in the degree programme. The book meets the needs of both approaches. Optics has three major branches: Geometrical optics, Physical optics and Quantum optics. Chapter 1 is about the nature of light. Geometrical optics is covered in chapters 2 to 5, Physical optics in chapters 6 to 8, and Quantum optics in chapter 9, and lays a foundation for advanced courses in applied quantum optics. The language of physics is universal, and the book is suited to students globally. However, the book recognises certain peculiarities in Africa, and is written to meet the specific needs of students in African Universities. Some students come from well equipped schools while other students come from less well equipped schools. These two groups of students attending the same course have different needs. The well prepared students need challenge, while the others need to be taught in fair detail. The book has therefore detailed discussions and explanations of difficult-to-grasp topics with the help of simple but clearly drawn and labeled diagrams. The discussions and conclusions are presented pointwise, and key words, definitions, laws, etc., are highlighted. There are a large number of problems and exercises at the end of each chapter.

This book, Introduction to Optics I: Interaction of Light with Matter, is the first book in a series of four covering the introduction to optics and optical components. The author's targeted goal for this series is to provide clarity for the reader by addressing common difficulties encountered while trying to understand various optics concepts. This first book is organized and written in a way that is easy to follow, and is meant to be an excellent first book on optics, eventually leading the way for further study. Those with technical backgrounds as well as undergraduate students studying optics for the first time can benefit from this book series. The current book includes three chapters on light and its characteristics (Chapter 1), on matter from the standpoint of optics (Chapter 2), and on the interaction of light with matter (Chapter 3). Among the characteristics of light, the ones characterizing its speed, color, and strength are covered. The polarization of light will be covered in the next book of the series, where we discuss optical components. Chapter 2 discusses various atomic and molecular transitions activated by light (optical transitions). Different kinds of natural bulk material media are described: crystalline and amorphous, atomic and molecular, conductive and insulating. Chapter 3 on the interaction of light with matter describes naturally occurring phenomena such as absorption, dispersion, and nonlinear optical interactions. The discussion is provided for the natural bulk optical materials only. The interfaces between various materials will be covered in the next book on optical components. The following three books of the series are planned as follows. In the second book, we will focus on passive optical components such as lenses, mirrors, guided-wave, and polarization optical devices. In the third book, we will discuss laser sources and optical amplifiers. Finally, the fourth book in the series will cover optoelectronic devices, such as semiconductor light sources and detectors.

In a very short time, lasers advanced from research interest to increasingly useful, commercially available tools for material processing, precision measurements, surgery, communication, and even entertainment. This 1996 book provides the background in theoretical physics necessary to understand engineering applications. It summarises relevant theories of geometrical optics, physical optics, quantum optics, and laser physics and ties them to applications in such areas as fluid mechanics, combustion, surface analysis, material processing and laser machining. Advanced topics such as laser Doppler velocimetry, laser-induced fluorescence, and holography are clearly and thoroughly explained. The book includes numerous examples and homework problems. A unique feature is the advanced research problems in each chapter that simulate real-world research and encourage independent reading and analysis.