The Elements Of Nonlinear Optics

There has recently been a rapid growth of activity in nonlinear optics. Effects such as frequency doubling, stimulated Raman scattering, phase conjugation and solitons are of great interest both for their fundamental properties and their many important applications in science and engineering. It is mainly these applications - especially in telecommunications and information processing - that have stimulated the recent surge of activity. This book is a self contained account of the most important principles of nonlinear optics. Assuming only a familiarity with basic mathematics, the fundamentals of nonlinear optics are fully developed from basic concepts. The essential quantum mechanical apparatus is introduced and explained. In later chapters the underlying ideas are illustrated by discussing particular experimental configurations and materials. This book will be an invaluable introduction to the field for beginning graduates in physics or engineering, and will provide an excellent overview and reference work for active researchers in the field.

This book is a self-contained account of the most important principles of nonlinear optics. Assuming a familiarity with basic mathematics, the fundamentals of nonlinear optics are developed from the basic concepts, introducing and explaining the essential quantum mechanical apparatus as it arises. Later chapters deal with the materials used and the constructions that are necessary to induce the effects.

Examining classic theories, experimental methods, and practical formulas for exploration of the core topics in nonlinear optics, the second edition of this acclaimed text was extensively revised to reflect recent advances in the analysis and modification of material properties for application in frequency conversion, optical switching and limiting,

This volume provides an introduction to new optical methods for investigating the electronic, atomic, and magnetic properties of metallic surfaces and films. The methods have potentially valuable commercial applications and the book will be a useful guide to researchers in condensed matter physics and optics. The book begins with a chapter on linear Kerr spectroscopy and its application to magnetism and magnetic anisotropy effects. This is followed by two chapters discussing nonlinear magneto-optics, particularly the application of second harmonic light generation (SHG) to ultrathin films. The next chapter discusses time-resolved linear and second order reflectivity methods, and the final two chapters cover the electronic theory for nonlinear optics and nonlinear magneto-optics. These last chapters include discussions of current problems and directions for future research.

Contemporary Nonlinear Optics discusses the different activities in the field of nonlinear optics. The book is comprised of 10 chapters. Chapter 1 presents a description of the field of nonlinear guided-wave optics. Chapter 2 surveys a new branch of nonlinear optics under the heading optical solitons. Chapter 3 reviews recent progress in the field of optical phase conjugation. Chapter 4 discusses ultrafast nonlinear optics, a field that is growing rapidly with the ability of generating and controlling femtosecond optical pulses. Chapter 5 examines a branch of nonlinear optics that may be termed nonlinear quantum optics. Chapter 6 reviews the new field of photorefractive adaptive neural networks. Chapter 7 presents a discussion of recent successes in the development of nonlinear optical media based on organic materials. Chapter 8 reviews the field of nonlinear optics in quantum confined structures. Chapter 9 reviews the field of nonlinear laser spectroscopy, with emphasis on advances made during the 1980s. Finally, Chapter 10 reviews the field of nonlinear optical dynamics by considering nonlinear optical systems that exhibit temporal, spatial, or spatio-temporal instabilities. This book is a valuable source for physicists and other scientists interested in optical systems and neural networks.

Nonlinear optics has been a rapidly growing field in recent decades. It is based on the study of effects and phenomena related to the interaction of intense coherent light radiation with matter. Physics of Nonlinear Optics describes various major nonlinear optical effects, including physical principles, experimental techniques, up-to-date research achievements, and current or potential applications. This book features clear conceptual descriptions, concise formulations, and emphasizes both theoretical and experimental aspects of nonlinear optics. The readability of this book is particularly enhanced by a series of color photographs showing the spectacular appearances of various nonlinear optical effects. Both authors of this book are outstanding research scientists renowned in their professional areas. Their major research achievements in nonlinear optics include the pioneering studies of two-wave-coupled refractive-index change, Raman-enhanced self-focusing, optical-frequency Pockels effect, stimulated Kerr scattering, optical phase-conjugation via backward stimulated emission, and two-photon-absorption based optical limiting, stabilization and reshaping.

Nonlinear Optics is an advanced textbook for courses dealing with nonlinear optics, quantum electronics, laser physics, contemporary and quantum optics, and electrooptics. Its pedagogical emphasis is on fundamentals rather than particular, transitory applications. As a result, this textbook will have lasting appeal to a wide audience of electrical engineering, physics, and optics students, as well as those in related fields such as materials science and chemistry. Key Features * The origin of optical nonlinearities, including dependence on the polarization of light * A detailed treatment of the quantum theory of the nonlinear susceptibility * An explication of dressed-atomic states of two-level atoms * A complete development of spontaneous and stimulated light scattering * A clear discussion of the photorefractive effect * An introduction to applications including laser frequency modification, optical phase conjugation, optical bistability, and propagation of optical soliton

Intended for readers with a background in classical electromagnetic theory, this book develops the basic principles that underlie nonlinear optical phenomena in matter. It begins with a discussion of linear wave propagation in dispersive media, moves into weak nonlinearities which can be discussed in a pertuberative manner, then it examines strong nonlinear effects (solitons, chaos). The emphasis is on the macroscopic description on nonlinear phenomena, within a semiclassical framework. Two new chapters cover surface optics and magneto-optic phenomena. The book is aimed at the student or researcher who is not a specialist in optics but needs an introduction to the principal concepts.