Abstract Based on a course offered at Moscow State University, this text comprehensively presents the fundamentals of modern physical optics. The concepts of classical and quantum radiation theories, nonlinear physics, statistics, and Fourier transformations are shown to form the bedrock of modern optics and optical physics. Subjects include lasers, nonlinear optics, optical spectroscopy, and optical fields. The material is much more topical than that in conventional textbooks, and it provides a picture of physical optics as an expert would see it, but in a form accessible to a student.
Abstract Based on a course offered at Moscow State University, this text comprehensively presents the fundamentals of modern physical optics. The concepts of classical and quantum radiation theories, nonlinear physics, statistics, and Fourier transformations are shown to form the bedrock of modern optics and optical physics. Subjects include lasers, nonlinear optics, optical spectroscopy, and optical fields. The material is much more topical than that in conventional textbooks, and it provides a picture of physical optics as an expert would see it, but in a form accessible to a student.
This book presents a systematic account of optical coherence theory within the framework of classical optics, as applied to such topics as radiation from sources of different states of coherence, foundations of radiometry, effects of source coherence on the spectra of radiated fields, coherence theory of laser modes, and scattering of partially coherent light by random media. The book starts with a full mathematical introduction to the subject area and each chapter concludes with a set of exercises. The authors are renowned scientists and have made substantial contributions to many of the topics treated in the book. Much of the book is based on courses given by them at universities, scientific meetings and laboratories throughout the world. This book will undoubtedly become an indispensable aid to scientists and engineers concerned with modern optics, as well as to teachers and graduate students of physics and engineering.
This textbook provides an accessible introduction to laser physics, exploring three key questions: What is special about laser light? What is the physics underlying its generation? And how can laser light be manipulated and used? The material is presented in a manner that helps the reader develop an understanding of the underlying physics principles and processes without getting bogged down in mathematical details, but there is enough mathematics for the understanding to be quantitative. The book begins by describing the special properties of laser light and focuses on the physics of light-matter interaction to understand how it acquires them. It builds upon Maxwells equations for light and the classical electron oscillator model for the atoms, augmented with a quantum mechanical picture of atomic energy levels, to provide an accurate physical understanding of light-matter interaction. This approach bypasses the need for a course in quantum theory. Derivations of key equations are included not only to help readers follow the development of the subject, but also to illustrate that to approximate, simplify, and get analytic results is integral to understanding any complex phenomenon. Subjects such as nonlinear pulse propagation and nonlinear optics are discussed, but only at a level that should help readers to get started in these fields. The choice of topics has been limited to atomic/molecular lasers to allow for their coverage in one semester-long course. Problems, references and illustrations are included throughout the book, making it an ideal textbook for advanced undergraduate and graduate physics and engineering students. Students do not require prior knowledge of physics much beyond an undergraduate-level introduction to electromagnetic theory, including Maxwell’s equations, polarization in atomic media and electromagnetic wave propagation. Key features: · Provides a qualitative and quantitative understanding of, and appreciation for, the special properties of laser light · Explores quantum statistics of laser light · Presents an analytical approach to pulse formation
Abstract Most previous texts on quantum optics have been written primarily for the graduate student market at PhD leveland above. Quantum optics: an introduction aims to introduce a wide range of topics at a lower level suitable for advanced undergraduate and Masters level students in physics. The text is divided into four main parts, covering modern topics in both pure and applied quantum optics: I. Introduction and background material. II. Photons. III. Atom-photon interactions. IV. Quantum information processing. The emphasis of the subject development is on intuitive physical understanding rather than mathematical arguments, although many derivations are included where appropriate. The text includes numerous illustrations, with a particular emphasis on the experimental observations of quantum optical phenomena. Each chapter includes worked examples, together with 10-15 exercises with solutions. Six appendices are included to supplement the main subject material.
This fourth edition of a well-established textbook takes students from fundamental ideas to the most modern developments in optics. Illustrated with 400 figures, it contains numerous practical examples, many from student laboratory experiments and lecture demonstrations. Aimed at undergraduate and advanced courses on modern optics, it is ideal for scientists and engineers. The book covers the principles of geometrical and physical optics, leading into quantum optics, using mainly Fourier transforms and linear algebra. Chapters are supplemented with advanced topics and up-to-date applications, exposing readers to key research themes, including negative refractive index, surface plasmon resonance, phase retrieval in crystal diffraction and the Hubble telescope, photonic crystals, super-resolved imaging in biology, electromagnetically induced transparency, slow light and superluminal propagation, entangled photons and solar energy collectors. Solutions to the problems, simulation programs, key figures and further discussions of several topics are available at www.cambridge.org/lipson.
Written for a two-semester graduate course in Quantum Mechanics, this comprehensive text helps develop the tools and formalism of Quantum Mechanics and its applications to physical systems. It suits students who have taken some introductory Quantum Mechanics and Modern Physics courses at undergraduate level, but it is self-contained and does not assume any specific background knowledge beyond appropriate fluency in mathematics. The text takes a modern logical approach rather than a historical one and it covers standard material, such as the hydrogen atom and the harmonic oscillator, the WKB approximations and Bohr-Sommerfeld quantization. Important modern topics and examples are also described, including Berry phase, quantum information, complexity and chaos, decoherence and thermalization, nonstandard statistics, as well as more advanced material such as path integrals, scattering theory, multiparticles and Fock space. Readers will gain a broad overview of Quantum Mechanics, as solid preparation for further study or research.
This fourth edition of a well-established textbook takes students from fundamental ideas to the most modern developments in optics. Illustrated with 400 figures, it contains numerous practical examples, many from student laboratory experiments and lecture demonstrations. Aimed at undergraduate and advanced courses on modern optics, it is ideal for scientists and engineers. The book covers the principles of geometrical and physical optics, leading into quantum optics, using mainly Fourier transforms and linear algebra. Chapters are supplemented with advanced topics and up-to-date applications, exposing readers to key research themes, including negative refractive index, surface plasmon resonance, phase retrieval in crystal diffraction and the Hubble telescope, photonic crystals, super-resolved imaging in biology, electromagnetically induced transparency, slow light and superluminal propagation, entangled photons and solar energy collectors. Solutions to the problems, simulation programs, key figures and further discussions of several topics are available at www.cambridge.org/lipson.