This text aims to expose students to the science of optics and optical engineering without the complications of advanced physics and mathematical theory.

This handbook explains principles, processes, methods, and procedures of optical engineering in a concise and practical way. It emphasizes fundamental approaches and provides useful formulas and step-by-step worked-out examples to demonstrate applications and clarify calculation methods. The book covers refractive, reflective, and diffractive optical components; lens optical devices; modern fringe pattern analysis; optical metrology; Fourier optics and optical image processing; electro-optical and acousto-optical devices; spatial and spectral filters; optical fibers and accessories; optical fabrication; and more. It includes over 2,000 tables, flow charts, graphs, schematics, drawings, photographs, and mathematical expressions.

Optical devices are employed in an ever-increasing range of applications, from simple lenses to complex fibre-optic communication networks. This book provides a detailed introduction to modern optical engineering, covering the fundamental concepts as well as practical techniques and applications. Basic optical principles are presented, particularly reflection, refraction, aberrations, diffraction and interference. Building on this foundation, a wide variety of optical devices and processes are then discussed, including simple optical instruments, photodetectors, spatial light modulators, holography and lasers. Two chapters are devoted to linear system transforms and signal processing, and the book concludes with a chapter on fibre optics. The book contains many worked examples and over 250 problems (solutions manual for instructors available from the publishers). It will be invaluable to electrical engineering and physics undergraduates taking courses in optical engineering, photonics, and electro-optics.

The first edition of this textbook was published only last year, and now, the publisher has decided to issue a paperback edition. This is intended to make the text more affordable to everyone who would like to broaden their knowledge of modem problems in optics. The aim of this book is to provide a basic understanding of the impor tant features of the various topics treated. A detailed study of all the sub jects comprising the field of engineering optics would fill several volumes. This book could perhaps be likened to a soup: it is easy to swallow, but sooner or later heartier sustenance is needed. It is my hope that this book will stimulate your appetite and prepare you for the banquet that could be yours. I would like to take this opportunity to thank those readers, especially Mr. Branislav Petrovic, who sent me appreciative letters and helpful com ments. These have encouraged me to introduce a few minor changes and improvements in this edition.

The practical, popular 1995 tutorial has been thoroughly revised and updated, reflecting developments in technology and applications during the past decade. New chapters address wave aberrations, thermal effects, design examples, and diamond turning.

Covering a broad range of topics in modern optical physics and engineering, this textbook is invaluable for undergraduate students studying laser physics, optoelectronics, photonics, applied optics and optical engineering. This new edition has been re-organized, and now covers many new topics such as the optics of stratified media, quantum well lasers and modulators, free electron lasers, diode-pumped solid state and gas lasers, imaging and non-imaging optical systems, squeezed light, periodic poling in nonlinear media, very short pulse lasers and new applications of lasers. The textbook gives a detailed introduction to the basic physics and engineering of lasers, as well as covering the design and operational principles of a wide range of optical systems and electro-optic devices. It features full details of important derivations and results, and provides many practical examples of the design, construction and performance characteristics of different types of lasers and electro-optic devices.