Product Description
Emphasizes conceptual understanding and development of optical intuition

Uses the vergence-dioptric power-wavefront approach

Incorporates fun everyday aspects of optics

Helpful review for optometry boards and qualifying examinations

With nearly 30 years of experience in teaching optics, Dr. Keating offers a new edition of this reader friendly book to enhance your understanding of geometric, physical and visual optics.

Written primarily for optometry students, the core of basic optics, including thin lenses, ametropia corrections, accommodation, introductory astigmatism and refraction techniques, prisms, and prisms in lenses, are conveniently contained in the first 12 chapters.Many students need percolation time to absorb some of the abstract concepts in optics.Dr. Keating introduces some concepts in early chapters and then returns to a more advanced treatment in later chapters providing you with adequate time to absorb difficult concepts. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Like A Low Budget Physics Book
The book has all of the information you need, with hand drawn diagrams. The author goes to great pains to thoroughly explain each concept. For the price, I would have expected a professional artist, with color pages and better paper quality, but when all is said and done, the author is good at explaining the concepts.

Different from other texts
When learning geometric optics, one usually learns concepts and equations using ordinary algebra.In this text, linear algebra is used.It gives the reader another way to manipulate problems than typically used.Highly recommended!

Good book for non-medical background study
The book is well written in the sense for people who want to have fundamental knowledge on optics in the sense of vision and image from human eyes.It also provides abundant infromation on the basics that help people from either engineering or medical background.

Easy to read & understand!!!
Dr. Keating has done an excellent job of putting his lectures into words.There is no better way to learn optics than to attend lectures, but if you can't, the next best thing is this book.As one of Dr. Keating's students, I can say that he wrote this book for students, keeping in mind that most of us have no clue about optics.He provides tons of examples along with complete explanations.I don't know how he does it...but Dr. Keating has made optics fun for me, and all of my friends!!!!!!

A Real Page-Turner, First Rate!
The Best Damn Geometric Optics Book I've ever read. And the author is a hell of a nice guy!

Love,

Matt H. Gene F.Mike B. ... Read more

Product Description
The most complete and lucid nonmathematical study of light available. Chapters are self-contained, making the book flexible and easy to read. Coverage includes such non-traditional topics as processes of vision and the eye, atmospherical optical phenomena, color perception and illusions, color in nature and in art, Kirilian photography, and holography. Includes experiments that can be carried out with simple equipment. Chapters contain optional advanced sections, and appendixes review the mathematics for quantitative aspects. Illustrated, including a four-color insert. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Very Satisfied
I received a high quality product for a fair price -- it also arrived early which was a bonus!!!

Outstanding conceptual approach to optics
One of the best science textbooks I've ever read.Clearly written and interesting to read.Heavy on concepts, light on math.Diagrams are simple but effective.It's rare to see a physics book as approachable as this one.As an amateur photographer and research microscopist, I love this book.Some parts of the text are a bit outdated (remember it was published in 1986), but the vast majority is valuable information.This is a great tool for physics students and teachers.

Very good
The book arrived quickly and in the condition that was specified. No issues, would use this seller again.

Optometry was never ever so interesting
Particularly for a budding Optometrist, this book allows the Optometrist to be acquainted with all the fine arts of optics and the like.

Seeing the Light
Book arrived in great shape. Like new!! ... Read more

Product Description
City of Light tells the story of fiber optics, tracing its transformation from 19th-century parlor trick into the foundation of our global communications network. Written for a broad audience by a journalist who has covered the field for twenty years, the book is a lively account of both the people and the ideas behind this revolutionary technology.The basic concept underlying fiber optics was first explored in the 1840s when researchers used jets of water to guide light in laboratory demonstrations. The idea caught the public eye decades later when it was used to create stunning illuminated fountains at many of the great Victorian exhibitions. The modern version of fiber optics--using flexible glass fibers to transmit light--was discovered independently five times through the first half of the century, and one of its first key applications was the endoscope, which for the first time allowed physicians to look inside the body without surgery. Endoscopes became practical in 1956 when a college undergraduate discovered how to make solid glass fibers with a glass cladding.With the invention of the laser, researchers grew interested in optical communications. While Bell Labs and others tried to send laser beams through the atmosphere or hollow light pipes, a small group at Standard Telecommunication Laboratories looked at guiding light by transparent fibers. Led by Charles K. Kao, they proposed the idea of fiber-optic communications and demonstrated that contrary to what many researchers thought glass could be made clear enough to transmit light over great distances. Following these ideas, Corning Glass Works developed the first low-loss glass fibers in 1970.From this point fiber-optic communications developed rapidly. The first experimental phone links were tested on live telephone traffic in 1977 and within half a dozen years long-distance companies were laying fiber cables for their national backbone systems. In 1988, the first transatlantic fiber-optic cable connected Europe with North America, and now fiber optics are the key element in global communications.The story continues today as fiber optics spread through the communication grid that connects homes and offices, creating huge information pipelines and replacing copper wires. The book concludes with a look at some of the exciting potential developments of this technology.Amazon.com Review
Computers you notice. They sit on your desk and hum, eversmaller, ever faster, and always obsolete if bought longer ago thanlast week. But the equally impressive technology that turns millionsof terminals into a global network is less obvious. The phone linethat comes into your house probably still pushes electrons throughmetal. But not far away, the signal will join millions of othersrelayed down fiber optic cables by laser. Jeff Hecht's fascinatingaccount of this undersung technology goes back 150 years to find theorigins of fiber optics. Then he chronicles the many ingenious anddetermined engineers who fashioned it into a technology that festoonsthe globe with cables carrying pulses of photons. It was harder thanpioneering copper links because supplanting an existing technologyneeds more persuasion than establishing the first one. And there wascompetition from the satellite industry, as well as unexpectedsetbacks, such as sharks who ignored copper but chewed fiber opticcables. Hecht tells a good tale, combining a light journalistic touchwith a scholarly knowledge of the industry he has covered for over twodecades. The story is not over yet, but this is a rich account of howwe got this far in a technology that really has fueled arevolution. --Jon Turney, Amazon.co.uk ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Great Section on Nobel Prize Winner, Charles K. Kao!
Charles Kao recently won the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physics "for groundbreaking achievements concerning the transmission of light in fibers for optical communication."Hecht does a terrific job giving a thorough description of Kao's work that won him this award.

Comprehensive explanation of the story of Fober Optics
It's great book for those who interests in where it came from. Especailly I would like to note the style of narration as an example of a deep insight into the issue of development and early research works. Unfortunately, the story is ended in the begining of the 90th and whole decade is omitted. It would be better if the story of photonic components development was included but it's a matter of next edition of this book.
As conclusion, I recommend this book to read for everybody who is involved into the field of Fiber Optics.

Comprehensive History of Fiber Optics
Fiber optics, the backbone of local and international communications and of the Internet, seems like a new technology, but in this comprehensive history of the field Jeff Hecht describes the Victorian origins of light guiding via jets of water.  In the first half of the 20th century a number of researchers independently discovered flexible glass fibers, and with the introduction of the laser in the 1950s long-distance optical communication became a possibility.  The main section of the book focuses on the work of researchers in Britain, Japan, and the United States from the 1950s through the 1980s as they overcome many technical problems and develop the beginnings of modern fiber optic cables, documenting the failures, the dead-ends, and the ultimate success in the early 1980s.  Extensively researched and annotated, with much material from primary sources, City of Light is accessible to the non-technical reader, yet has enough detail and links to additional sources to satisfy students of engineering history.

Good explanation of "where it all came from"
Hecht does a good job of explaining where the technology of fiber opticscommunications came from.His book is not an explanation of how fiberoptics communications works, but a history.I have a reasonably goodbackground in fiber optics communications so it's difficult for me to judgewhether someone who knew nothing about it would find it easy to follow,although I think they would.

I would particularly recommend the book tofiber optic techies - it really makes the technology more meaningful whenyou understand how the technology developed.A fine job by a good writer -very close to five stars.

And if you're technically oriented and wantmore knowledge of fiber optic technology, I'd recommend "OpticalNetworks" by Ramaswami and Sivarajan.

weak on the last 10 years
This is book has a wealth of information on the early years of fibre optics that I have not seen anywhere else. It is full of names and brief explanations of their contribution. But overall I thought this was a dull,slow moving book with little insight. More of an ongoing collection ofnotes that have been put together for another better book on the history offibre once the real story finally emerges.There is very littlescience here. You won't learn much about light physics or why thetechnology works -only that it does and who patented it. (But the sciencemay be reserved for Hecht's other book.)Also , for those who aretrying to keep up with Gilder this book will be disappointing. There isnothing on DWDM (one brief, unexplained mention) ornothing that maps outthe current players, companies,ortechnologies. (I can tell that Gilderhas read it because some of the historical facts have been mentioned in theGTR) But there are only a few pages at the end that try to update where thetechnology has been in the last 10 years, where it is going or why. Hugegaps where a technology is mentioned but not even defined, much lessexplained. I wish there was a better book on the subject, but for now thisis it, and maybe it is worth reading for that reason alone. Sorry to be socritical, but if you like Burke's "Connections" this will onlyget you lost. It probably would not have been published but for the suddensurge in tech stocks. I hope the Slone series is not all like this. ... Read more

Product Description
From basic terms and concepts to advanced optimization techniques-a complete, practical introduction to modern geometrical optics Most books on geometrical optics present only matrix methods. Modern Geometrical Optics, although it covers matrix methods, emphasizes y-nu ray tracing methods, which are used most commonly by optical engineers and are easier to adapt to third-order optics and y-??? diagrams. Moving by logical degrees from fundamental principles to advanced optical analysis and design methods, this book bridges the gap between the optical theory taught in introductory physics texts and advanced books on lens design. Providing the background material needed to understand advanced material, it covers important topics such as field of view, stops, pupils and windows, exact ray tracing, image quality, and optimization of the image. Important features of Modern Geometrical Optics include:
* Examples of all important techniques presented
* Extensive problem sets in each chapter
* Optical analysis and design software
* Chapters covering y-??? diagrams, optimization, and lens design
This book is both a primer for professionals called upon to design optical systems and an ideal text for courses in modern geometrical optics. Companion Software Special lens design and analysis software capable of solving all problems presented in the book is available via Wiley's FTP site. This software also serves as an introduction to the use of commercial lens design software. Appendix C is a user's manual for the software. ... Read more

Product Description
While most books on electro-optical systems concentrate on an individual subfield, this one presents an overview of the whole field, providing researchers with working knowledge of a number of cross-disciplinary areas. It includes essential information on how to build modern electro-optical instruments such as microscopes, cameras, optical inspection equipment, and spectrometers, and optical-related computer equipment. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Okay I'll bite
I am going to buy this book. I have a fairly large electro-optic library myself and if it's another one of those books thats full of crap like "Photonic Rules of Thumb" I will beat you with it. Spend some time in your lab, teach yourself the tips and tricks and stop building lasers that suck...especially if you work at a DOD contractor; cause if I have to teach anohter PhD what happens in the lab is different from the idealized versions in a text book I'm gonna puke. Just sick of picking up million dollar lasers built by PhD's with taxpayer money that are total crap.

Useful, hard to come by lessons
I've had this book for around a month, and I've already been able to apply its lessons in the lab on several occasions.Hobbs has a way of anticipating the things that will trip you up ahead of time, allowing you to learn lessons the easy way instead of the hard way.Some of the stuff in here would probably have taken me a decade to realize on my own (i.e. how bad etaloning can be in a polarizing beam splitting cube.)He covers many topics in just enough detail to make we want to find out more.

[...]

Occasionally, Hobbs offers advice without making it obvious why you should follow it.Most of it can be cleared up by a careful rereading or consultation of references, but one would do well to avoid following advice without understanding it.Hobbs advocates "dead bug" circuit prototyping, but provides only the the vaguest description of how to do it (and one crummy picture).I googled the subject and found very little useful supplemental material, and I'm not sure how to research the topic further.

Overall, it's hard for me to imagine someone who works with optics who wouldn't benefit from carefully reading this book.A real gem.

Best buy for practical optics perston: Buiding Electro-Optical Systems: Making It All Work
Briefly speaking, everybody dealing seriiously with optical design, or even doing academic research, should keep this book on the desk all the time.

Excellent but sorely needs references!
This is an excellent how-to book.It's the Home Depot of optics.But the almost complete lack of references (at least in the edition I reviewed) is a HUGE disappointment.This general text could have been so much more useful with a few selected hooks into the specialized literature.I hope the author and publisher consider this seriously for future editions.

Wow!
I believe I have one of the largest personal libraries on electro-optics, how in the heck did I miss this book?

Highly recommended! ... Read more

Product Description

The most comprehensive and up-to-date optics resource available

Prepared under the auspices of the Optical Society of America, the five carefully architected and cross-referenced volumes of the Handbook of Optics, Third Edition, contain everything a student, scientist, or engineer requires to actively work in the field. From the design of complex optical systems to world-class research and development methods, this definitive publication provides unparalleled access to the fundamentals of the discipline and its greatest minds.

Individual chapters are written by the world's most renowned experts who explain, illustrate, and solve the entire field of optics. Each volume contains a complete chapter listing for the entire Handbook, extensive chapter glossaries, and a wealth of references. This pioneering work offers unprecedented coverage of optics data, techniques, and applications.

Volume IV covers optical properties of materials, nonlinear optics, and quantum optics. ... Read more

Product Description

This new edition is intended for a one semester course in optics for juniors and seniors in science and engineering. It uses scripts from Maple, MathCad, Mathematica, and MATLAB to provide a simulated laboratory where students can learn by exploration and discovery instead of passive absorption. The text covers all the standard topics of a traditional optics course. It contains step by step derivations of all basic formulas in geometrical, wave and Fourier optics. The threefold arrangement of text, applications, and files makes the book suitable for "self-learning" by scientists or engineers who would like to refresh their knowledge of optics.

Customer Reviews (2)

3 stars for students, 5 stars for instructors
If you are a student of optics, this rather expensive text is not really going to help you that much considering the price. The best combination is Optics (4th Edition) for comprehension and Schaum's Outline of Optics for basic practice of what is covered in the textbook. Both books are written by the same author, and the first book might have been better if the author had incorporated more examples from his Schaum's outline into it.

This book really glosses over explanations. The best part of the book are the programs that demonstrate various optics principles. These are included on the accompanying CD and are named at the different places in the book. Thus be careful if you buy a used copy, because without the CD you really don't have much. Students might want to look at the first edition, because besides branching out into other languages besides Mathcad, there really isn't that much difference between the two editions except price.

For the instructor of college-level optics, I think this book is really useful. You can incorporate some of the programs into demonstrations and illustrate some difficult principles. For that purpose I highly recommend it.

simulated optical bench
Traditionally, optics was often taught using a lab. Where you had an optical bench, replete with many elements like prisms, beam splitters, waveguides etc. If possible, you really should learn optics in a hands-on way like that.

But suppose now you have a class in optics. There are customary texts for this, like Optics (4th Edition). But this new book takes a different approach. In essence, it offers a simulated optical bench. Using the power of a commonly affordable personal computer. Along with an impressive set of math packages. The book plays no favourites amongst these, in order to maximise its readership. Moeller is to be commended for this ecumenical approach.

Now, you can tweak numerous parameters within setups inside the packages, and see the results. Yeah, it is all simulated. But if it is the concepts you need, then you can grasp them in the book's manner. Another consideration is that not every university can necessarily afford the optical lab. Or imagine a reader studying this subject at home. So in these cases, the book is also a boon. ... Read more

Product Description
FIBER OPTICS TECHNICIAN'S MANUAL, 4E is a practical guide for designers, installers, and troubleshooters of fiber optic cable plants and networks. It reflects recent changes in fiber optic technology, marketing, and applications, including wider usage of Fiber To The Home (FTTH) applications and Local Area Networks (LANs). This book begins with a brief history of the development of fiber optics and progresses from the basics of this technology and its components, to installation and testing. FIBER OPTICS TECHNICIAN'S MANUAL, 4E will provide readers with a comprehensive overview of all aspects of fiber optics as used in communications systems, including telephone, CATV, and computers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

For beginers..
This book is for beginers... Any technician who worked few months on fiber optic knows about everything in that book. However, if someone never worked with fiber optic, this is a very good introduction... If the title was: "... an introduction..." I certainly rate this book 5 stars.

Fiber Optics the new generation
I Ordered the manual Fiber Optics Technician's Manualhoping that it would have new ideas and latest technology included and was dissapointed in both departments. It covered fiber optics thoroughly up to the 1970/80's and for anyone that has been active in the field of fiber optics this is actually a waste of money.
I passed it on to my employees hoping that at least they would find some benefit but short of just getting some more detailed information I seriously doubt whether they could benefit from this in the practical enviroment.
To conclude this is a product for someone that is starting out on fiber optics and should be advertised as such.

Good for beginners focusing on inside plant fiber
This book is designed predominnantly for folks who will be working with Multimode fiber and predominantly inside plant.It lacks significantly when it comes to outside plant work and single mode fiber.This book was written by Mr. Hayes with the focus on his FOA CFOT structure training and that is again predominantly focused on mulitmode cable and field terminations, rather than single mode.

Great starter book!
If your new to the business, or just want a refresher, who better than Jim Hayes to provide the material....he's the "Old Man" of the Fiber Optics field. This is a well-written manual that covers just about everything you need to know about fiber optics...history, nomenclature, splicing and terminating..it's all here. jtm

Great basic training
I bought this book mostly for the basic information as a review. The book has been very helpful when any questions surrounding color codes and signal strength are involved. ... Read more

Product Description
Since the 3rd edition appeared, a fast evolution of the field has occurred. The fourth edition of this classic work provides an up-to-date account of the nonlinear phenomena occurring inside optical fibers.The contents include such important topics as self- and cross-phase modulation, stimulated Raman and Brillouin scattering, four-wave mixing, modulation instability, and optical solitons. Many new figures have been added to help illustrate the concepts discussed in the book.

New to this edition are chapters on highly nonlinear fibers and and the novel nonlinear effects that have been observed in these fibers since 2000. Such a chapter should be of interest to people in the field of new wavelengths generation, which has potential application in medical diagnosis and treatments, spectroscopy, new wavelength lasers and light sources, etc.

* Continues to be industry bestseller providing unique source of comprehensive coverage on the subject of nonlinear fiber optics
* Fourth Edition is a completely up-to-date treatment of the nonlinear phenomena occurring inside optical fibers
* Includes 2 NEW CHAPTERS on the properties of highly nonlinear fibers and their novel nonlinear effects ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Be cautious! a lot of errors
There are so many careless errors in the most important equations in this book. Some plots are wrong too. Some claims are ungrounded.

Not for entry level. For expert who already knows this stuff and who can easily spot his errors. Otherwise you will be so confused and almost wanted to kill yourself after sitting there staring at those erroneous equations. Should be used as a reference only if you have decided to make fiber optics your life. I had my worst year in college reading this book. My professor also agrees somehow with me that this book needs to be revised.

One of the best book I've ever red on nonlinear optics.
I'm absolutly sure that everyone can find something useful in this book, no matter who you are - a novice in this subject or well experienced researcher in optics.

This book is also useful as a reference book on nonlinear effects. I very often find this book in hand.

A quantitative text on nonlinear fiber optics
This is a serious book written at a graduate-student oradvanced-under-graduate level for the practicing professional employed indesigning optical telecommunications systems and components. I don't thinkthe book was written with students particularly in mind, since (forexample) there are no examples or problems in the book as typically foundin university course workIn his introduction, Agrawal says "[t]hebook is aimed for researchers already engaged in or wishing to enter thefiled of nonlinear fiber optics." As the title suggests, the book'semphasis is on nonlinear effects in optical fibers, as opposed to nonlineareffects in bulk materials.

The first chapter is pretty basic, and ismostly review material that describes things like the index cross sectionin an optical fiber, material issues, fabrication, chromatic dispersion,modal birefringence (which leads to polarization mode dispersion), nonlinear refraction and stimulated inelastic scattering.The review here ispretty brief (the chapter has only about 25 pages).

Chapter two developsthe mathematics of wave propagation in optical fibers, including themathematics of mode propagation and basic propagation equations derivedfrom Maxwell's equations.This chapter actually develops severaldifferent differential equations; each based on various assumptionsapplicable to different pulse widths.These differential equations thenform the basis for later investigations into various non-linear effectsdiscussed in the book.Chapter two is thus a foundational chapter andshould be read and understood completely before moving on.There is abrief discussion at the end of the chapter that describes numericalmethods.

Chapter three describes group-velocity dispersion, includingchromatic dispersion as well as dispersion-induced pulse broadening andhigher-order dispersion and their implications for optical systems.

Chapter four introduces self-phase modulation and self steepening.

Chapter five describes optical solitons (including fundamental andhigher order solitions), soliton lasers, and soliton-based communicationssystems.

Chapter 6 describes some techniques for optical pulsecompression using gratings and chirped optical pulses.It also describessoliton-effect compressors.

Chapter 7 is devoted to the subject ofcross-phase modulation, chapter 8 to stimulated Raman scattering, chapter 9to stimulated Brillouin scattering, and chapter 10 to parametric processes,including four-wave mixing, parametric gain, and phase matching.

The bookis quantitative, making (as you'd expect in a graduate text) liberal use ofmathematics.The level of mathematics, however, should be well within thegrasp of senior college students majoring in physics, engineering, ormathematics. The subject, however, is non-trivial, and you should expectthis book to present a real intellectual challenge in reading andunderstanding all the details. I took about six months to finish the book,including time taken to fill in some details in the derivations and to plotsome of the equations on my computer.

Agrawal makes good use of figuresand illustrations, which I found particularly helpful.The book also hasan adequate index that makes the book more valuable as a desk reference.

Each chapter cites a wealth of reference material in the literature sothat any subject covered within its pages can be studied in more detail andfrom the original sources.

I would not make this a first study ofnonlinear optics (although it was for me).Rather, I'd look for texts thatdiscuss nonlinear effects qualitatively, and I'd try to expose myself toexperiments that illustrate these nonlinear effects to gain a morequalitative understanding before diving into Agrawal's mathematicalderivations.With a more qualitative basis first acquired, however,Agrawal's book is an invaluable tool for understanding the most obscurenonlinear effects in optical fibers.

The definitive sourcebook for nonlinear fibre phenomenon
This book is the first and foremost reference book on many aspects of nonlinear fibre effect. It is written for non-experts in fibres but is also an invaluable resource for those who are.

It starts off with a quickreview of linear fibre characteristics (dispersion, loss, fabrication) anddevotes a chapter each to a systematic study of how dispersion withoutnonlinearity and nonlinearity without dispersion affect pulse propagation.Higher order nonlinearity and dispersion are also covered.

From thisintroduction, the problem of having both nonlinearity and dispersionpresent is introduced, leading to solitons. This treatment does not godeeply into the algebraic solution of the NLS equation, but gives a goodbackground of the properties of solitons.

Several other topics arecovered which span a broad array of important nonlinear phenomenon inoptical fibres under active research. This seems to be the book to buy ifyou need to know about solitons and other nonlinear effects, and iscontinually referenced. ... Read more

Product Description
This workbook is designed to supplement optics textbooks and covers all the traditional topics of geometrical optics. Terms, equations, definitions, and concepts are discussed briefly and explained through a series of problems that are worked out in a step-by-step manner, which simplifies the problem-solving process. Additional practice problems are provided at the end of each chapter. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A good workbook to understand geometric optics
Easy to understand and lots of sample problems to follow along as you try to understand equations. At the end of the chapters, there are 20-30 problems with answers. Unfortunately, the questions at the end of the chapters do not have an explanation of how they came up with the answer, but it's not hard to figure out. This book is great aid for first year optometry students. ... Read more

Product Description

The formalism of quantum optics is elucidated in the early chapters and the main techniques are introduced. These are applied in the later chapters to problems such as squeezed states of light, resonance fluorescence, laser theory, quantum theory of four-wave mixing, quantum non-demolition measurements, Bell's inequalities, and atom optics. Experimental results are used to illustrate the theory throughout. This yields the most comprehensive and up-to-date coverage of experiment and theory in quantum optics in any textbook.

Customer Reviews (3)

Too much information without intermediate steps..
I used this book in a regular graduate course on Quantum Optics, when it would be my first contact with the subject, and I have to say I become very irritated when I look at this book. It is probably my fault, because I should have used a more introductory book.

Here the authors don't derive almost anything, they use lots of expressions and take it from nowhere. I think it is assumed one should know the formalism, because many topics are just there without a reasonable explanation (my point of view). All the chapters have lots of references and citations to the original articles where the intermediate steps are explained, but the book is not self contained.

The good part of the book is that here one can find lots of things that are research subject all together. If one knows what the authors are doing (because almost every time they put results without telling how to get them) it can be useful.

I think Mandel and Wolf (Optical Coherence..) or Scully and Zubairy (Quantum Optics) are better for a first contact with Q. O..

Blend of fundamental and practical
This book was recommended to me by one of the world's leaders in quantum computing, who told me it was the best introduction powerful enough to explain the kinds of principles necessary to make this new kind of hardware really work. It is not an introduction to optics; Lipson's beautiful clear book on optics is maybe the best way to get ready for this, and Mandl and Shaw's book on quantum field theory is an excellent empirically-oriented start to that subject. This book is an excellent summary of a lot of new work -- unifying new basic theory and experiment -- which goes beyond those two. There has been a revolution in getting past the limits of the old semiclassical approximation methods in quantum optics, and developing technology beyond the scope of the older methods; I haven't seen any other general introductory text which covers all the key points of that work. Howard J. Carmichael's book from Springer is also excellent, and covers similar ground, but is a bit more advanced -- and still lacked the essential Volume II, last I checked.
Anyone who wishes to really understand what quantum measurement is about needs to understand what is in this book.

Comprehensive, but more mathematics than physics
This book covers a broad range of topics in quantum optics, including very recent developments. This is probably due to the fact that the authors have themselves made many important contributions to the field.

However, we think the book is not suitable as an introduction to the subject, since the reader is expected to be familiar with both the basic mathematical and notational concepts of the field (which are often introduced without any explanation or motivation).

Probably, Mandel and Wolf's "Optical coherence and quantum optics", or H.-A. Bachor's recently published "A guide to experiments in quantum optics" are more appropriate for a first encounter with quantum optics. -H.K. Nienhuys, S.Woutersen, F. van den Broek, H.J. Bakker. ... Read more

Product Description
The Wiley Classics Library consists of selected books that have become recognized classics in their respective fields. With these new unabridged and inexpensive editions, Wiley hopes to extend the life of these important works by making them available to future generations of mathematicians and scientists.
Currently available in the Series:

T. W. Anderson
The Statistical Analysis of Time Series
T. S. Arthanari & Yadolah Dodge
Mathematical Programming in Statistics
Emil Artin
Geometric Algebra
Norman T. J. Bailey
The Elements of Stochastic Processes
with Applications to the Natural Sciences
Robert G. Bartle
The Elements of Integration and
Lebesgue Measure
George E. P. Box & Norman R. Draper
Evolutionary Operation: A Statistical Method for Process Improvement
George E. P. Box & George C. Tiao
Bayesian Inference in Statistical Analysis
R. W. Carter
Finite Groups of Lie Type: Conjugacy Classes
and Complex Characters
R. W. Carter
Simple Groups of Lie Type
William G. Cochran & Gertrude M. Cox
Experimental Designs, Second Edition
Richard Courant
Differential and Integral Calculus, Volume I
RIchard Courant
Differential and Integral Calculus, Volume II
Richard Courant & D. Hilbert
Methods of Mathematical Physics, Volume I
Richard Courant & D. Hilbert
Methods of Mathematical Physics, Volume II

D. R. Cox
Planning of Experiments
Harold S. M. Coxeter
Introduction to Geometry, Second Edition
Charles W. Curtis & Irving Reiner
Representation Theory of Finite Groups and
Associative Algebras
Charles W. Curtis & Irving Reiner
Methods of Representation Theory
with Applications to Finite Groups
and Orders, Volume I
Charles W. Curtis & Irving Reiner
Methods of Representation Theory
with Applications to Finite Groups
and Orders, Volume II
Cuthbert Daniel
Fitting Equations to Data: Computer Analysis of
Multifactor Data, Second Edition
Bruno de Finetti
Theory of Probability, Volume I
Bruno de Finetti
Theory of Probability, Volume 2
W. Edwards Deming
Sample Design in Business Research ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A good textbook in statistical optics
Since I'm an optics graduate student beginning my research on image through atmosphere turbulance, I'm eager to find a book of statistic optics which can be both a classical one and easy of self-studying, in fact, Idon't want to waste a lot of time jumping from one book to another tryingto get the right one for me. One friend of mine introduced this book to me,also because it is written by goodman, whose book "Introduction toFourier Optics" is one of the best books I've ever read, I did have atry on this book, "Statistical Optics". It's really well writtenand good organized, I read all through the book, especially on the chapterfocus on the theory of partial coherence, imaging with partially coherentlight, and atmospheric degradations of images. I obtained not only somebasic concepts from it, even got some inspiration for the research work I'mdoing. Thank you, Prof. Goodman. Thank you for offering another classicaloptics textbook to the optics student! ... Read more

Product Description
This book gives a thorough treatment of the rapidly-expanding field of coherent x-ray optics, which has recently experienced something of a renaissance with the availability of third-generation synchrotron sources.It is the first book of its kind.The author begins with a treatment of the fundamentals of x-ray diffraction for both coherent and partially coherent radiation, together with the interactions of x-rays with matter.X-ray sources, optics elements and detectors are then discussed, with an emphasis on their role in coherent x-ray optics.Various facets of coherent x-ray imaging are then discussed, including holography, interferometry, self-imaging, phase contrast and phase retrieval.Lastly, the foundations of the new field of singular x-ray optics are examined.Most topics are developed from first principles, with numerous references given to the contemporary research literature.This book will be useful to x-ray physicists and students, together with optical physicists and engineers who wish to learn more about the fascinating subject of coherent x-ray optics. ... Read more

Product Description
A comprehensive treatment of ultrafast optics

This book fills the need for a thorough and detailed account of ultrafast optics. Written by one of the most preeminent researchers in the field, it sheds new light on technology that has already had a revolutionary impact on precision frequency metrology, high-speed electrical testing, biomedical imaging, and in revealing the initial steps in chemical reactions.

Ultrafast Optics begins with a summary of ultrashort laser pulses and their practical applications in a range of real-world settings. Next, it reviews important background material, including an introduction to Fourier series and Fourier transforms, and goes on to cover:

• Principles of mode-locking
• Ultrafast pulse measurement methods
• Dispersion and dispersion compensation
• Ultrafast nonlinear optics: second order
• Ultrafast nonlinear optics: third order
• Mode-locking: selected advanced topics
• Manipulation of ultrashort pulses
• Ultrafast time-resolved spectroscopy
• Terahertz time-domain electromagnetics

Professor Weiner's expertise and cutting-edge research result in a book that is destined to become a seminal text for engineers, researchers, and graduate students alike.

  ... Read more

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Two books in one! Complete coverage of data cabling and fiber optics makes this the most comprehensive cabling book on the market

With the growing demand for fiber optics in large-scale communications networks, network professionals need complete, up-to-the-minute information. The fourth edition of this popular guide provides you with the latest on copper and fiber-optic networking. It is particularly useful for those studying for the Fiber Optics Installer or Fiber Optics Technician certifications.

Part I covers the basics of cabling, while Part II is devoted to in-depth information on fiber optics, allowing you to stay up to speed on all aspects of the field.

• Demonstrates how to work with all of the various types of cables-from those used to network desktops to hubs and switches up to those used by major telecommunications carriers
• Appeals to anyone who plans, builds, and maintains a network
• Offers a solid foundation in fiber optics

As the industry transitions from copper cabling to fiber optics, Cabling: The Complete Guide to Copper and Fiber-Optic Networking, Fourth Edition is a vital tool for network administrators and technicians.

Customer Reviews (2)

Good reference for those who are just beginning
Not an expert in anything cabling or network related but this is an excellent place to start

Great reference product
Good reference material.I bought this for my daughter as a tool to study for her RCDD.It should be on every networking persons library shelf.Net is great but books are still the way to go. ... Read more

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A coherent overview of the current status of injection molded optics, describing in detail all aspects of plastic optics, from design issues to production technology and quality control. This updated second edition is supplemented by a chapter on the equipment and process of injection wells as well as a look at recent applications.
The contributors, each one a leading expert in their discipline, have either a background in or strong ties to the industry, thus combining a large amount of practical experience.
With its focus firmly set on practical applications, this is an indispensable reference for all those working in optics research and development.
... Read more

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A culmination of twenty-five years of teaching Geometrical Optics. For graduate students, researchers, lecturers and practitioners of optometry and ophthalmology, optomechanical and optoelectronic engineers. Softcover available. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

lots of formula derivations
Detailed derivations and diagrams make it a puzzle solver.

A tour de force on optics.
This is a must read for professors of optics, and all students interested in the science of optometry.The diagrams are extremely helpful, as is the comprehensive glossary at the end of the text.It is a valuable book, forbeginners and optics professionals alike. ... Read more

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This elementary introduction to the subject of quantum optics, the study of the quantum mechanical nature of light and its interaction with matter, is almost entirely concerned with the quantized electromagnetic field. The text is designed for upper-level undergraduates taking courses in quantum optics who have already taken a course in quantum mechanics, and for first- and second- year graduate students. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Useful, but could be much better with substantial revision
I am a mathematician who is very familiar with electrodynamics and quantum mechanics.
I read this book to teach myself quantum optics.
Since I read it as a self-study text,
I will review it from that perspective.
Some of the weaknesses noted might be less important for a classroom text.

The Gerry/Knight text is billed as suitable for
"senior undergraduates and beginning postgraduates", but
I fear that undergraduates who attempt it as a self-study text
are likely to end up frustrated.
I can't recall ever encountering an undergraduate with a background in mathematics and quantum mechanics
sufficient to read this book in a reasonable time without the guidance of an instructor.
If used for self-study, I think that minimal prerequisites
would be a graduate level understanding of abstract linear algebra and quantum mechanics.
Some familiarity with Fock space and the theory of operators on infinite-dimensional Hilbert spaces would be desirable.

Because the book is intended for beginners,
the authors take pains to explain many things which a beginner might not know.
Most of the explanations were careful and helpful, but I was dissatisfied with some.
I read the book cover to cover and was able to follow most of it,
but some of it (e.g, much of the chapter on decoherence)
is still a mystery to me.

Chapter 9 describes recent experiments in quantum optics which
demonstrate amazing properties of light unimaginable from a classical perspective.
The presentations of the physical setups give just the right amount of detail for clear understanding.
The diagrams are good.
However, I felt that the mathematical analyses would be easier
for those with good backgrounds if done on a higher level,
and some of the physical discussions seemed obscure.

Given the authors' intended audience,
it may be unreasonable to quarrel with their choice of mathematical level.
However, it is truly unfortunate that some of
their calculational details seem actually wrong.
For example, in Section 9.3's discussion of a ``quantum eraser'',
several terms appear to be omitted from equation (9.21),
which invalidates some of the subsequent discussion.
Moreover, the discussion is obscure and seems of questionable validity even were the text's (9.21) correct.
More details can be found on my website.

I noticed only a few errors which would affect the physics,
but there are too many mathematical errors and
an unusually large number of typos.
Most of the typos are relatively insignificant,
but nevertheless distracting.
Readers should be prepared to check everything.

My copy is by now riddled with underlined statements with marginal notes
like "Why?", or "What does this mean?"
As I progressed through the book and my understanding deepened,
manyof these "Why's" were erased, but quite a few remain.

The reader who wants to learn quantum optics and has
the necessary mathematical background may wish that
parts of the book were more carefully written,
but he will not be fundamentally disappointed.
This is a good book from which I learned a lot.
It seems much clearer than Scully and Zubairy's
Quantum Optics, which I read previously.

My brand new paperback copy is falling apart after only a few weeks of careful use at home.
A book this good deserves a more durable binding. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Disagree with Mladen K. Vranjican's review
I totally disagree with Mladen K. Vranjican's review "- Page 127, line3. The book incorrectly relates R. J. Lurie's work with that of J. L. Houghton."
I don't have a copy of Lurie's paper (Journal of the Optical Society of America, March 1975, p. 261), but I have an article named "Gleanings for ATM's--Making an Aplanatic 4-inch Telescope" on Sky & Telescope Nov. 1979 issue. It mentioned Lurie's great thought in his paper:
"In Example IV [of U.S. Patent No.2350,112, May 30, 1944] J.L.Houghton presents a design for an aplanatic system that consists of a two-element afocal corrector at the optical focus of a spherical mirror. The corrector...is shown made of glasses that have different refractive indices. However, such a corrector can be designed using the same glass type for both elements. This aplanat has interesting properties. Like the Wright telescope...its tube length is equal to its focal length. However, its astigmatism is only half that of the Wright telescope, and its surfaces are all spherical. The image surface of best focus has the same curvature as the mirror."

So, Mr. Lurie not only invented the aspheric (conic-section) mirror type as Mladen K. Vranjican said in the review, but also footnoted the telescope with all spherical and same glass, just what we called 'Lurie-Houghton' now a days. Mr. Lurie ofcouse should own the honor for the name together with Houghton. What Houghton invented is using different glass and it is the source of Lurie-Houghton telescope.

Manual is more comprehensive than accessible
There was a time once when amateur astronomers had exposure to only a few different kinds of telescopes--mostly simple achromatic refractors, which comprise just two lenses cemented together (plus an eyepiece), and Newtonian reflectors, which include a mirror plus the eyepiece.Many, possibly most, of these amateurs also made their own optics, and as a result, they knew most of what there was to know about these designs.

Nowadays, it's quite different.Not only are there vastly more types of telescopes, but most amateurs now buy telescopes; telescope building is a diminishing part of amateur astronomy, and people make their own telescopes out of desire, not necessity.It's harder than ever now for amateurs to really know about optical designs in breadth and depth.

Into this breach step Rutten and van Venrooij, two Dutch astronomers who wanted to know more about optics but found that resources were generally unavailable to amateurs.So, they wrote their own.Telescope Optics is a compendium of optical information, geared to the intermediate to advanced amateur.Like Gaul, it can be divided into three parts: Chapters 1 through 4 discuss optical principles; Chapters 5 through 16 apply those principles to various telescope and accessory designs; and Chapters 17 through 22 cover evaluation and design.

The manner of the text is generally scholarly but informal.Although optical principles are explained from the fundamentals, the authors still assume a certain level of comfort with high school mathematics and analytical exposition.In particular, it helps if the reader can easily digest information in two-dimensional graphs.This can make the book somewhat imposing for those readers who really just want to know, at a high level, what makes their own telescope tick.

For those readers capable of making their way through the analysis, however, the authors clearly and comprehensively explain the workings of several telescope and camera designs, and discuss in brief the quirks of at least half a dozen more.The compromises of each design are detailed to the level of so-called "third-order aberrations"; these include coma, astigmatism, field curvature, spherical aberration, and distortion.

The authors also make available their own design software.Being 15 years down the line, the software is somewhat out of date, and it does not come free with the book; it must be purchased separately.The book does explain how to use the software, though.

Overall, the book should find its way onto the shelf of anyone who wants to learn, seriously, about their optics.For those who simply want a taste of how optics work, or who need a gentle introduction to the field, it probably ought to wait until later.

Excellent manual for beginners and advanced amateurs
Telescope Optics is a comprehensive, educational and practical manual for beginners and advanced amateur opticians and astronomers. It is probably one of the best overall sources of information on basic optics, optical instruments and their prformance. The book comes with a DOS-based computer program that allows users to design their own systems and evaluate theoretical or existing optical configurations.Telescope Optics fills the gap between simple amateur telescope and optics manuals and professional literature. The book is due for a second edition, as well as an upgraded optical design and analysis program suitable for Windows-driven computer environment.Although Telescope Optics came with some errata sheets, the book has notable omissions and errors, summarized below.- Page 5, line 19. No mention is made of either F. B. Wright (1935) or Y. Väisälä (1936), whose modifications to the original Schmidt camera design resulted in more compact, flat-field instruments suitable for visual as well as photographic work.- Page 88, line 5. Credit is given to K. Slevogt (October, 1942) for developing a modification to the famous Baker camera. His work was preceeded, however, by C. R. Burch (April, 1942) in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (Vol. 102, No. 3, "Design of Approximately Flat-fielded System, with Two Spherical Mirrors and One Plate").- Page 127, line3. The book incorrectly relates R. J. Lurie's work with that of J. L. Houghton. Houghton (U.S. Patent No 2,350,112, May 30, 1944) proposed a two-element all-spherical corrector used in conjunction with a spherical mirror for a Newtonian-like configuration. The system is aplanatic (free of coma and spherical aberration). Lurie (Journal of the Optical Society of America, March 1975, p. 261) proposes two-element all-spherical correctors in conjunction with aspheric (conic-section) mirrors resulting in a fully systems that are fully anastigmatic - free of coma, spherical aberration and astigmatism. The two systems are not interchangable and only bear superficial resemblence. The value of Lurie's configurations is in superior optical performance, which in all aspects except distortion rival that of a true Schmidt camera, and in the applicability of converting smaller Newtonian configurations into first-class astrographs.- Page 145, Section 14.4, the book omits to mention that Ross-type correctors can be used in conjunction with hyperboloidal primary mirrors, resulting in anastigmatic flat-field astrographs (offered by Takahashi of Japan). Since full-aperture correctors are not practical for large Newtonian-like configurations, vast number of amateurs with telescopes larger than 10-inches in diameter could convert their instruments to high quality astrocameras. Suitable correctors, other than the Ross, have also been investigated and implemented on existing observatory Newtonian systems. Availability of their design and analysis would be of paramount importance to serious amateur observers and astrophotographers.Mladen K. Vranjican ... Read more

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In Volume II, readers will find coverage of: Elements, from the traditional to more recently developed components such as integrated, micro, binary, gradient index, fiber, and x-ray optics; Instruments, from cameras to optical scanners to FLIR systemsl Measurements, including both the theory and the methodology; Optical and physical properties of material. ... Read more