Since the invention of the laser, our fascination with the photon has led to one of the most dynamic and rapidly growing fields of technology. An explosion of new materials, devices, and applications makes it more important than ever to stay current with the latest advances. Surveying the field from fundamental concepts to state-of-the-art developments, Photonics: Principles and Practices builds a comprehensive understanding of the theoretical and practical aspects of photonics from the basics of light waves to fiber optics and lasers. Providing self-contained coverage and using a consistent approach, the author leads you step-by-step through each topic. Each skillfully crafted chapter first explores the theoretical concepts of each topic and then demonstrates how these principles apply to real-world applications by guiding you through experimental cases illuminated with numerous illustrations. Coverage is divided into six broad sections, systematically working through light, optics, waves and diffraction, optical fibers, fiber optics testing, and laboratory safety. A complete glossary, useful appendices, and a thorough list of references round out the presentation. The text also includes a 16-page insert containing 28 full-color illustrations. Containing several topics presented for the first time in book form, Photonics: Principles and Practices is simply the most modern, comprehensive, and hands-on text in the field.

Polarized Light and Optical Systems presents polarization optics for undergraduate and graduate students in a way which makes classroom teaching relevant to current issues in optical engineering. This curriculum has been developed and refined for a decade and a half at the University of Arizona’s College of Optical Sciences. Polarized Light and Optical Systems provides a reference for the optical engineer and optical designer in issues related to building polarimeters, designing displays, and polarization critical optical systems. The central theme of Polarized Light and Optical Systems is a unifying treatment of polarization elements as optical elements and optical elements as polarization elements. Key Features Comprehensive presentation of Jones calculus and Mueller calculus with tables and derivations of the Jones and Mueller matrices for polarization elements and polarization effects Classroom-appropriate presentations of polarization of birefringent materials, thin films, stress birefringence, crystal polarizers, liquid crystals, and gratings Discussion of the many forms of polarimeters, their trade-offs, data reduction methods, and polarization artifacts Exposition of the polarization ray tracing calculus to integrate polarization with ray tracing Explanation of the sources of polarization aberrations in optical systems and the functional forms of these polarization aberrations Problem sets to build students’ problem-solving capabilities.