Topology is the study of properties of geometrical objects that remain invariant as the object is bent, twisted, or otherwise continuously deformed. It has been an indispensable tool in particle physics and solid state physics for decades, but in recent years it has become increasingly relevant in classical and quantum optics as well. It makes appearances through such diverse phenomena as Pancharatnam-Berry phases, optical vortices and solitons, and optical simulations of solid-state topological phenomena. This book concisely provides the necessary mathematical background needed to understand these developments and to give a rapid survey of some of the optical applications where topological issues arise.

Topology is the study of properties that remain unchanged under bending, twisting, and stretching of a system. Long important in other areas of physics, topology has recently become a vital tool in optics and photonics as well, leading to a broad range of unexpected phenomena such as knotted and linked optical vortices and topologically protected states that are immune to environmental disruption. Topology in Optics: Tying Light in Knots (Second Edition) covers the background needed to follow these developments and provides a brief survey of topological effects in optics. Assuming only a background in physics at the advanced undergraduate level, it requires no prior familiarity with topology. Revised and expanded with two new chapters. Topological Photonics and Optical Knots and Links, this will be an invaluable reference for undergraduate and graduate students as well as researchers and engineers in optics and related areas. Book jacket.

Precise illustrations demonstrate each step. DVD features Lefty Kreh tying 30 of his favorite knots and reinforcing techniques in the text.

Learn the ropes of erotic bondage with a discreet knot-tying guide featuring a playful ribbon-tie closure. Follow the step-by-step illustrations and discover how to restrain your partner simply and safely. You'll also learn how to fashion a suggestive rope corset, a crop for spanking, and other bedroom tricks that will have you bound for adventure!

Topology in Optics: Tying light in knots (Second Edition) provides the background needed to understand a broad range of unexpected phenomenon and developments arising from topological effects in optics. Assuming only a background in physics at the advanced undergraduate level, it requires no prior familiarity with topology. Revised and expanded with two new chapters, Topological Photonics and Optical Knots and Links, this will be an invaluable reference for undergraduate and graduate students as well as researchers and engineers in optics and related areas.

An acclaimed artist celebrates the creative possibilities of macramé and knots in this memoir and guide featuring projects and tutorials. Every day for a year, artist Windy Chien learned to tie a new kind of knot and then shared the results on Instagram—a project that both reinvented her life and revolutionized knot art. In The Year of Knots, Chien describes how knot-making led her on a path of discovery. She shares projects, tutorials, and transformative personal stories, all aimed at inspiring readers to make knotting—and creativity in general—part of a meditative daily practice. The knots in this book are gorgeously documented step-by-step. Knotted projects abound—from wall hangings to a necklace, a dog leash, a hanging light, and more. At the heart of the story is the simple, empowering idea that a single year is all the time you need to make a life-changing creative leap.