Slow Light

The propagation of light in dispersive media is a subject of fundamental as well as practical importance. In recent years attention has focused in particular on how refractive index can vary with frequency in such a way that the group velocities of optical pulses can be much greater or much smaller than the speed of light in vacuum, or in which the refractive index can be negative. Treating these topics at an introductory to intermediate level, Fast Light, Slow Light and Left-Handed Light focuses on the basic theory and describes the significant experimental progress made during the past decade. The book pays considerable attention to the fact that superluminal group velocities are not in conflict with special relativity and to the role of quantum effects in preventing superluminal communication and violations of Einstein causality. It also explores some of the basic physics at the opposite extreme of very slow group velocities as well as stopped and regenerated light, including the concepts of electromagnetically induced transparency and dark-state polaritons. Another very active aspect of the subject discussed concerns the possibility of designing metamaterials in which the refractive index can be negative and propagating light is left-handed in the sense that the phase and group velocities are in opposite directions. The last two chapters are an introduction to some of the basic theory and consequences of negative refractive index, with emphasis on the seminal work carried out since 2000. The possibility that "perfect" lenses can be made from negative-index metamaterials-which has been perhaps the most controversial aspect of the field-is introduced and discussed in some detail.

Slow Light is a popular treatment of today's astonishing breakthroughs in the science of light. Even though we don't understand light's quantum mysteries, we can slow it to a stop and speed it up beyond its Einsteinian speed limit, 186,000 miles/sec; use it for quantum telecommunications; teleport it; manipulate it to create invisibility; and perhaps generate hydrogen fusion power with it. All this is lucidly presented for non-scientists who wonder about teleportation, Harry Potter invisibility cloaks, and other fantastic outcomes. Slow Light shows how the real science and the fantasy inspire each other, and projects light's incredible future. Emory physicist Sidney Perkowitz discusses how we are harnessing the mysteries of light into technologies like lasers and fiber optics that are transforming our daily lives. Science-fiction fantasies like Harry Potter's invisibility cloak are turning into real possibilities. Please click here for more info. Contents: What is Light? The Mystery ContinuesWhy is Light so Fast?Can Anything Go Even Faster?Slow, Stopped, Fast, and Backwards LightExtreme and Entangled LightInvisibilityLight Fantasy to Light Reality Readership: For physics enthusiasts all over the world. Keywords:Light;Invisibility;Teleportation;Entanglement;Slow Light;Fast Light;Backwards Light;Laser;Laser Fusion;Quantum;Quantum Computing;Quantum Cryptography;Relativity;Faster Than Light Travel;Science Fiction;Star Trek;Cloaking Device;Invisible ManKey Features:Slow Light is unique in bringing together different aspects of contemporary light science and technology, and presenting them at a popular level. No other title covers all these areas. Slow light and invisibility in particular have not been presented at length in popular booksThe book will appeal to both science fans and science fiction fans, for it weaves real science together with fictional science. It presents both ongoing research and classic and modern science fiction, from H G Wells' “The Invisible Man” through “Star Trek” to contemporary films and television seriesThe author brings expertise in light gained from his own laboratory research, and is also known as a skilled and clear expositor of science for non-scientists. His earlier “Empire of Light”, about science and art, gained critical acclaim and has been translated into several languages. His “Digital People” and “Hollywood Science” have also established him as a lecturer and media figure who explores the relations between science and science fictionReviews:“This excellent little book tells of the truly marvelous properties of light that have been revealed in the last half century or so. Highly recommended.”Choice “With an elegant and clear style, Perkowitz takes the reader through the reality of these remarkable phenomena, including the strange quantum effects related to entanglement. Here is an author who is keen to show that what we know is already amazing, without having to pour over the purely hypothetical.”CERN Courier

One of the Top Selling Physics Books according to YBP Library Services The exotic effects of slow light have been widely observed in the laboratory. However, current literature fails to explore the wider field of slow light in photonic structures and optical fibers. Reflecting recent research, Slow Light: Science and Applications presents a comprehensive introduction to slow light and its potential applications, including storage, switching, DOD applications, and nonlinear optics. The book covers fundamentals of slow light in various media, including atomic media, semiconductors, fibers, and photonic structures. Leading authorities in such diverse fields as atomic vapor spectroscopy, fiber amplifiers, and integrated optics provide an interdisciplinary perspective. They uncover potential applications in both linear and nonlinear optics. While it is impossible to account for all the captivating developments that have occurred in the last few years, this book provides an exceptional survey of the current state of the slow light 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.

Covers modern photonics accessibly and discusses the basic physical principles underlying all the applications and technology of photonics. This volume covers the basic physical principles underlying the technology and all applications of photonics from statistical optics to quantum optics. The topics discussed in this volume are: Photons in perspective; Coherence and Statistical Optics; Complex Light and Singular Optics; Electrodynamics of Dielectric Media; Fast and slow Light; Holography; Multiphoton Processes; Optical Angular Momentum; Optical Forces, Trapping and Manipulation; Polarization States; Quantum Electrodynamics; Quantum Information and Computing; Quantum Optics; Resonance Energy Transfer; Surface Optics; Ultrafast Pulse Phenomena. Comprehensive and accessible coverage of the whole of modern photonics Emphasizes processes and applications that specifically exploit photon attributes of light Deals with the rapidly advancing area of modern optics Chapters are written by top scientists in their field Written for the graduate level student in physical sciences; Industrial and academic researchers in photonics, graduate students in the area; College lecturers, educators, policymakers, consultants, Scientific and technical libraries, government laboratories, NIH.

Micro-ring resonators (MRRs) are employed to generate signals used for optical communication applications, where they can be integrated in a single system. These structures are ideal candidates for very large-scale integrated (VLSI) photonic circuits, since they provide a wide range of optical signal processing functions while being ultra-compact. Soliton pulses have sufficient stability for preservation of their shape and velocity. Technological progress in fields such as tunable narrow band laser systems, multiple transmission, and MRR systems constitute a base for the development of new transmission techniques. Controlling the speed of a light signal has many potential applications in fiber optic communication and quantum computing. The slow light effect has many important applications and is a key technology for all optical networks such as optical signal processing. Generation of slow light in MRRs is based on the nonlinear optical fibers. Slow light can be generated within the micro-ring devices, which will be able to be used with the mobile telephone. Therefore, the message can be kept encrypted via quantum cryptography. Thus perfect security in a mobile telephone network is plausible. This research study involves both numerical experiments and theoretical work based on MRRs for secured communication.

This book provides a comprehensive description of various slab waveguide structures ranged from graded-index waveguide to symmetrical metal-cladding waveguide. In this book, the transfer Matrix method is developed and applied to analyze the simplest case and the complex generalizations. A novel symmetrical metal-cladding waveguide structure is proposed and systematically investigated for several issues of interest, such as biochemical sensing, Goos-Hänchen shift and the slow light effect, etc. Besides, this book summarizes the authors’ research works on waveguides over the last decade. The readers who are familiar with basic optics theory may find this book easy to read and rather inspiring.

This book presents a comprehensive account of the recent progress in optical fiber research. It consists of four sections with 20 chapters covering the topics of nonlinear and polarisation effects in optical fibers, photonic crystal fibers and new applications for optical fibers. Section 1 reviews nonlinear effects in optical fibers in terms of theoretical analysis, experiments and applications. Section 2 presents polarization mode dispersion, chromatic dispersion and polarization dependent losses in optical fibers, fiber birefringence effects and spun fibers. Section 3 and 4 cover the topics of photonic crystal fibers and a new trend of optical fiber applications. Edited by three scientists with wide knowledge and experience in the field of fiber optics and photonics, the book brings together leading academics and practitioners in a comprehensive and incisive treatment of the subject. This is an essential point of reference for researchers working and teaching in optical fiber technologies, and for industrial users who need to be aware of current developments in optical fiber research areas.