The increasing use of fiber optics in the field of medicine has created a need for an interdisciplinary perspective of the technology and methods for physicians as well as engineers and biophysicists. This book presents a comprehensive examination of lasers and optical fibers in an hierarchical, three-tier system. Each chapter is divided into three basic sections: the Fundamentals section provides an overview of basic concepts and background; the Principles section offers an in-depth engineering approach; and the Advances section features specific information on systems and biophysical parameters. All those interested in the fields of lasers and fiber optics will find this book fascinating and instructive reading.

Lasers and Optical Instrumentation covers B.E., M.E., and M. Sc. (Electronics) degree courses. The text covers basic principles of lasers, types of lasers and their characteristics, laser applications in engineering and medicine. Further the book includes extensive coverage of optoelectronic devices, fibre optic communication and fibre optic sensors. The book includes many solved problems throughout the text to support the theoretical concepts and help in understanding of underlying principles. Review questions have been included at the end of each chapter to practise and self-study. Spread in Ten Chapters the book broadly covers: " Characteristics of lasers, mode locking, Q-switching, powerful lasers, frequency stabilisation " Overview of applications of lasers in science, engineering and medicine; reliability and safety aspects " Laser interferometer, laser strain gauges, laser Doppler velocimeter, laser ranging, mechanical cutting, welding, scribing, holography " Applications of Raman spectroscopy " Application of laser devices, optical fibers etc., in fiber optic communications " Integrated optics, radiation source, transmission link, detector " Fibre optical sensors, non-intrusively, displacements, pressure, temperature, high currents, angular velocity " Future perspectives nanophotonics, quantum dots, photonic crystals

The invention of the laser in 1960 provided mankind with a unique source of light, which is highly directional, spectrally pure and extremely bright. The development of such a unique source of light ushered in a large number of applications in many diverse areas such as communications, medicine, defence, etc. Besides, lasers have found numerous commercial uses and the number of such applications is still rising. Today, light wave communication using hair-thin optical fibers of glass has truly revolutionised communication and has been primarily responsible for the Internet explosion. Salient Features " An introductory, easy-to-understand and purely non-mathematical text "Covers state-of-the-art developments in the field of fiber optics - fiber amplifiers, dispersion compensation and non-linear effects "Discusses basics of lasers with emphasis on special properties and applications "Adopts an application-oriented approach applications explained with interesting illustrations "Provides examples and comparisons from day-to-day experience, wherever feasible, to make readers understand by correlation of known facts The book is designed to serve as a popular reference on fiber optics and lasers. It will not only interest general readers and students, but will also serve as a useful reference to working professionals in the field of lasers and fiber-optic communication system.

The fiber laser, with its humble beginning in the late 1980s, has undergone tremendous development in the past decade or so, transforming itself from a research curiosity to a major force in modern manufacturing. Today, it is revolutionizing our economy by fundamentally changing the way we mark, machine, and process materials on an industrial scale. The recent development of high-power fiber lasers is also fundamentally shaping a wide range of other areas from physical sciences and medicine to geology and space exploration. In the past few years, the tactical deployment of direct energy weapons based on fiber lasers has become a reality. The development of fiber lasers is rooted in a number of technical areas including optical materials, optical waveguide design, nonlinear optics, optical fiber fabrication, and optical characterization, in addition to optical fiber components, and fiber laser design and architecture. No comprehensive in-depth coverage of such diverse topical areas has appeared in a single book. Many important developments have taken place in the past decade in both academia and industry. This book comprehensively covers the basics, technology and applications of fiber lasers including up-to-date developments in both academia and industry and is aimed to serve as both an introduction and research aid for graduate students, engineers, and scientists who are new to this field and also for veterans in the field

Light and light based technologies have played an important role in transforming our lives via scientific contributions spanned over thousands of years. In this book we present a vast collection of articles on various aspects of light and its applications in the contemporary world at a popular or semi-popular level. These articles are written by the world authorities in their respective fields. This is therefore a rare volume where the world experts have come together to present the developments in this most important field of science in an almost pedagogical manner. This volume covers five aspects related to light. The first presents two articles, one on the history of the nature of light, and the other on the scientific achievements of Ibn-Haitham (Alhazen), who is broadly considered the father of modern optics. These are then followed by an article on ultrafast phenomena and the invisible world. The third part includes papers on specific sources of light, the discoveries of which have revolutionized optical technologies in our lifetime. They discuss the nature and the characteristics of lasers, Solid-state lighting based on the Light Emitting Diode (LED) technology, and finally modern electron optics and its relationship to the Muslim golden age in science. The book’s fourth part discusses various applications of optics and light in today's world, including biophotonics, art, optical communication, nanotechnology, the eye as an optical instrument, remote sensing, and optics in medicine. In turn, the last part focuses on quantum optics, a modern field that grew out of the interaction of light and matter. Topics addressed include atom optics, slow, stored and stationary light, optical tests of the foundation of physics, quantum mechanical properties of light fields carrying orbital angular momentum, quantum communication, and Wave-Particle dualism in action.

Optical science and engineering affect almost every aspect of our lives. Millions of miles of optical fiber carry voice and data signals around the world. Lasers are used in surgery of the retina, kidneys, and heart. New high-efficiency light sources promise dramatic reductions in electricity consumption. Night-vision equipment and satellite surveillance are changing how wars are fought. Industry uses optical methods in everything from the production of computer chips to the construction of tunnels. Harnessing Light surveys this multitude of applications, as well as the status of the optics industry and of research and education in optics, and identifies actions that could enhance the field's contributions to society and facilitate its continued technical development.

This book is a MUST for everyone in and around the optics community! Fiber Optic Essentials provides professionals and students new to the field of fiber optics with a high-level knowledge of principles, theories and applications. This primer can also be used as a succinct overview of optics for those with some engineering and physics background. Individuals involved with optics in non-traditional capacities such as in marketing and legal departments will find this volume introduces basic concepts completely in an easy to read format. Casimer and Carolyn DeCusatis have provided a concise resource with compact chapters and minimal equations conveying this complex topic in a straightforward and clear-cut style. Included in this book are chapters on fibers, cables, connectors, transmitters, modulators, noise, and optical link design. Concluding this reference are three indispensable appendices covering extensive definitions, acronyms (including initials and commonly used slang), measurement conversions and physical constants. This author team has produced a book that has truly shed light on this difficult subject. - Comprehensively covers basic fiber optic 'facts' - Explains how optics relate to everyday life - Details fiber optic communication standards - Chapter included on medical applications - Timeline traces the history of optics with major milestones