K. Thyagarajan - Böcker

This textbook provides senior undergraduates studying modern optics with a comprehensive account of optics and optical electronics. A large number of solved and unsolved problems are included in the book. The extensive coverage makes it valuable to postgraduates, and also to optical engineers, as a source of basic design information. The initial chapters cover the basic principles involved in the propagation of electromagnetic waves. These are followed by a description of diffraction and its application to spatial frequency filtering and holography. Laser theory and the various types of laser are covered, as well as the theory of optical waveguides, fibre optics and integrated optics. The final chapters cover electrooptics, acoustooptics, and nonlinear optical effects.

Recent advances in the development of low-loss optical fibers have revolutionized the field of telecommunications, and fiber-based networks form a key part of international communications systems. This book introduces the physical principles of optical fibers, and details their use in sensor technology and modern optical communication systems. The authors begin by setting out the basic propagation characteristics of single mode and multimode optical fibers. In later chapters they cover optical sources, optical detectors, and fiber-optic communication system design. They also treat a wide variety of related topics such as doped fiber amplifiers, dispersion compensation, fiber sensors, and measurement techniques for the characterization of optical fibers. Throughout the book, physical and engineering aspects of the subject are interwoven, and many worked examples and exercises are included. It will be an ideal textbook for undergraduate or graduate students taking courses in optical fiber communications, photonics, or optoelectronics.

In geometrical optics, light propagation is analyzed in terms of light rays which define the path of propagation of light energy in the limit of the optical wavelength tending to zero. All of geometric optics can be derived from Fermat's principle. The counterpart in classical mechanics is of course Hamilton's principle. There is a very close analogy between mechanics of particles and optics of light rays. In this text, the authors begin with Fermat's principle and obtain the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian pictures of ray propagation through various media. The analysis of light propagation in inhomogeneous media is dealt with in great detail.

Ever since their invention in 1960, lasers have assumed tremendous importance in the fields of science, engineering and technology because of their use both in basic research and in various technological applications.

Ingeometrical optics, light propagation is analyzed in terms of light rays which define the path of propagation of light energy in the limitofthe optical wavelength tending to zero. Many features oflight propagation can be analyzed in terms ofrays,ofcourse, subtle effects near foci, caustics or turning points would need an analysis based on the wave natureoflight. Allofgeometric optics can be derived from Fermat's principle which is an extremum principle. The counterpart in classical mechanics is of course Hamilton's principle. There is a very close analogy between mechanics ofparticles and optics oflight rays. Much insight (and useful results) can be obtained by analyzing these analogies. Asnoted by H. Goldstein in his book Classical Mechanics (Addison Wesley, Cambridge, MA, 1956), classical mechanics is only a geometrical optics approximation to a wave theory! In this book we begin with Fermat's principle and obtain the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian pictures of ray propagation through various media. Given the current interest and activity in optical fibers and optical communication, analysis of light propagation in inhomogeneous media is dealt with in great detail. The past decade has witnessed great advances in adaptive optics and compensation for optical aberrations. The formalism described herein can be used to calculate aberrations ofoptical systems. Toward the end of the book, we present application of the formalism to current research problems. Of particular interest is the use of dynamic programming techniques which can be used to handle variational/extremum problems. This method has only recently been applied to opticalproblems.