Introduction To Optics

Introduction to Optics is now available in a re-issued edition from Cambridge University Press. Designed to offer a comprehensive and engaging introduction to intermediate and upper level undergraduate physics and engineering students, this text also allows instructors to select specialized content to suit individual curricular needs and goals. Specific features of the text, in terms of coverage beyond traditional areas, include extensive use of matrices in dealing with ray tracing, polarization, and multiple thin-film interference; three chapters devoted to lasers; a separate chapter on the optics of the eye; and individual chapters on holography, coherence, fiber optics, interferometry, Fourier optics, nonlinear optics, and Fresnel equations.

A complete basic undergraduate course in modern optics for students in physics, technology, and engineering. The first half deals with classical physical optics; the second, quantum nature of light. Solutions.

This award-winning book has been translated from the original French by the author and thoroughly updated. It gives an introduction to modern optics at an advanced level, taking a unique approach inspired by Richard Feynman.

Preface -- Combinatorics -- Probability -- Expectation values -- Distributions -- Gaussian approximations -- Correlation and regression -- Appendices.

The book introduces university undergraduates to the fascinating world of the science of light. Contemporary physics programmes are under increasing pressure to provide a balance between coverage of several traditional branches of physics and to expose students to emerging research areas. It is therefore important to provide an in depth introduction to some branches of physics, such as optics, to students who may not become professional physicists but will need physics in their chosen professions. Some Universities offer optics as semester courses while others offer it as modules within general physics courses in the degree programme. The book meets the needs of both approaches. Optics has three major branches: Geometrical optics, Physical optics and Quantum optics. Chapter 1 is about the nature of light. Geometrical optics is covered in chapters 2 to 5, Physical optics in chapters 6 to 8, and Quantum optics in chapter 9, and lays a foundation for advanced courses in applied quantum optics. The language of physics is universal, and the book is suited to students globally. However, the book recognises certain peculiarities in Africa, and is written to meet the specific needs of students in African Universities. Some students come from well equipped schools while other students come from less well equipped schools. These two groups of students attending the same course have different needs. The well prepared students need challenge, while the others need to be taught in fair detail. The book has therefore detailed discussions and explanations of difficult-to-grasp topics with the help of simple but clearly drawn and labeled diagrams. The discussions and conclusions are presented pointwise, and key words, definitions, laws, etc., are highlighted. There are a large number of problems and exercises at the end of each chapter.

This book is the culmination of twenty-five years of teaching Geometrical Optics. The volume is organised such that the single spherical refracting surface is the basic optical element. Spherical mirrors are treated as special cases of refraction, with the same applicable equations. Thin lens equations follow as combinations of spherical refracting surfaces while the cardinal points of the thick lens make it equivalent to a thin lens. Ultimately, one set of vergence equations are applicable to all these elements.The chapters are devoted to in-depth treatments of stops, pupils and ports; magnifiers, microscopes, telescopes, and camera lenses; ophthalmic instruments; resolving power and MTF; trigonometric ray tracing; and chromatic and monochromatic aberrations. There are over 100 worked examples, 400 homework problems and 400 illustrations.First published in 1994 by Penumbra Publishing Co.

A comprehensive and engaging textbook, covering the main areas of optics and its modern applications.

A comprehensive, applications oriented introduction to geometrical optics, wave optics and modern optics which does not require students to have previously studied electricity and magnetism. The book covers all the traditional elements of an optics course together with the modern topics that have revolutionised the field - holography, fibre optics, lasers and laser beam characteristics, Fourier optics and nonlinear optics. This new edition features several completely new chapters and sections to give greater emphasis to these topics and there are new problems and highlighted worked examples.