Springer Series in Optical Sciences – serie

This book explores ways to improve the classical resolution limits of an imaging system. Various approaches dealing with exceeding the limita­ tions of the lens aperture, the pixel's size in the camera, and the noise generated at the detector are presented and analyzed. The book starts by presenting the theoretical foundations and by introducing the back­ ground and the related terms and then proceeds into the desired system analysis. Despite the fact that the book tends to provide the mathematical background required to follow the presented derivations, it assumes that the reader has acquired a basic knowledge in optical Fourier processing. Ifthis is not the case, we strongly advise using Goodman's book: Intro­ duction to Fourier Optics as mandatory prereading material. The book is mainly intended for a graduated audience who may be researchers in an academy or engineers in the industry seeking information that may assist them in improving the performance of their electro-optical system design. The last chapter of the book is a more practical chapter that explores several industry-related examples and applications that may use the superresolution techniques in real industrial electro-optical systems. The most important feature of this book is its attempt to address an important subject that has not been addressed before, the subject of resolution and imaging, and to discuss techniques of how to exceed these classical limitations.

There has been a revived interest in Raman amplification due to the availability of high pump powers and improvements in small core size fibers. Two general categories of Raman amplifiers exist: distributed and discrete, also known as DRAs. They improve the noise figure and reduce the nonlinear penalty of the amplifier, allowing for longer amplifiers spans, higher bit rates, closer channel spacings, and operation near the zero dispersion wavelength. DRAs are already becoming commonplace in most long-haul networks. Consequently, Raman amplifiers should see a wide range of deployment in the next few years. This edited monograph is written by leading experts in this area and is the first book entirely devoted to Raman amplification. Three sections include extensive background on Raman physics, descriptions of sub-systems and modules utilizing Raman technology, and a review of current state-of-the-art systems. Technologies presented include applications for long-haul and ultra-long-haul submarine, terrestrial, soliton, and high-speed systems. This book will be a resource for scientists and optical engineers in optoelectronics, fiber optics, telecommunication, and optical networks.

Microoptics is still an emerging field with a huge potential for a large number of applications. This monograph brings together the most recent developments in order to give a broad overview.

I have written this book to fill a void between theory and practice, a void that I perceived while conducting my own research and development of components and instruments over the last years. In the chapters that follow I have pulled materials from the technical and patent literature that are relevant to the understanding and practice of polarization optics in telecommunications, material that is often known by the respective experts in industry and academia but is rarely if ever found in one place. By bringing this material into one monograph, and by applying a single formal ism throughout, I hope to create a “base level” upon which future research and development can grow. Polarization optics in telecommunications is an ever evolving? eld. Each year significant advancements are made, punctuated by important discoveries. The references upon which this book is based are only a snapshot in time. Areas that remain unresolved at the time of publication may very well clarified in the years to come. Moreover, the focus of the field changes in time: for instance, there have been few passive nonreciprocal component advancements reported in the last few years, but PMD and PDL advancement continues with only modest abatement.

The ?eld that encompasses the term “quantum interference” combines a number of separate concepts, and has a variety of manifestations in d- ferent areas of physics. In the sense considered here, quantum interference is concerned with coherence and correlation phenomena in radiation ?elds and between their sources. It is intimately connected with the phenomenon of non-separability (or entanglement) in quantum mechanics. On account of this, it is obvious that quantum interference may be regarded as a com- nent of quantum information theory, which investigates the ability of the electromagnetic ?eld to transfer information between correlated (entangled) systems. Since it is important to transfer information with the minimum of corruption, the theory of quantum interference is naturally related to the theory of quantum ?uctuations and decoherence. Since the early days of quantum mechanics, interference has been - scribed as the real quantum mystery. Feynman, in his famous introduction to the lectures on the single particle superposition principle, referred in the following way to the phenomenon of interference: “it has in it the heart of quantum mechanics”, and it is really ‘the only mystery’ of quantum mech- ics. With the development of experimental techniques, it has been possible to carry out many of the early Gedanken experiments that played an important role in developing our understanding of the fundamentals of quantum int- ference and entanglement. Despite its long history, quantum interference still challenges our understanding, and continues to excite our imagination.

Extreme ultraviolet radiation, also referred to as soft X-rays or XUV, offers very special optical properties. The X-UV refractive index of matter is such that normal reflection cannot take place on polished surfaces whereas beam transmission through one micrometer of almost all materials reduces to zero. Therefore, it has long been a difficult task to imagine and to implement devices designed for complex optics experiments in this wavelength range. Thanks to new sources of coherent radiation - XUV-lasers and High Order Harmonics - the use of XUV radiation, for interferometry, holography, diffractive optics, non-linear radiation-matter interaction, time-resolved study of fast and ultrafast phenomena and many other applications, including medical sciences, is ubiquitous.

Optical interference plays a prominent role in scientific discovery and modern technology. Historically, optical interference was instrumental in establishing the wave nature of light. Nowadays, optical interference continues to be of great importance in areas such as spectroscopy and metrology. Thus far, the physical optics literature has discussed the interference of optical waves with the same single frequency (i.e., homodyne interference) and the interference of optical waves with two different frequencies (i.e., heterodyne interference), but it hardly ever deals with the interference of optical waves whose frequencies are continuously modulated (i.e., frequency-modulated continuous-wave int- ference). Frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) interference, which was originally investigated in radar in the 1950s, has been recently introduced in optics. The study of optical FMCW interference not only updates our kno- edge about the nature of light but also creates a new advanced technology for precision measurements. This book introduces the principles, applications, and signal processing of optical FMCW interference. The layout of this book is straightforward. Chapter 1 gives a short introduction to optical FMCW interferometry by considering the historical development, general concepts, and major advantages provided by this new technology. Chapter 2 focuses on the principles of optical FMCW interference. Three different versions of optical FMCW interference— sawtooth-wave optical FMCW interference, triangular-wave optical FMCW interference, and sinusoidal-wave optical FMCW interference—are discussed in detail. Moreover, multiple-beam optical FMCW interference and multip- wavelength optical FMCW interference are also discussed by this chapter.

Optoelectronic devices are currently being developed at an extraordinary rate. Organic light-emitting diodes, photovoltaic devices and electro-optical modulators are pivotal to the future of displays, photosensors and solar cells, and communication technologies. This book details the theories underlying the mechanisms involved in the relevant organic materials and covers, at a basic level, how the organic components are made.The first part of the book introduces the fundamental theories used to describe ordered solids and goes onto detail on concepts applicable to localised energy levels. Then the methods used to determine energy levels particular to perfectly ordered molecular and macromolecular systems are discussed along with a detailed consideration of the effects of quasi-particles. The function of excitons and their transfer between two molecules is studied and, in addition, the problems associated with interfaces and charge injection into resistive media are presented.More technological aspects are covered in the second part, which details the actual methods used to fabricate devices based on organic materials, such as dry etching. The principal characterisation techniques are also highlighted. Specific attention is paid to visual displays using organic light-emitting diodes; the conversion of photons into electrical energy (the photovoltaic effect); and for communications and information technologies, the electro-optical modulation of signals.

Random lasers are the simplest sources of stimulated emission without cavity, with the feedback provided by scattering in a gain medium. First proposed in the late 1960s, random lasers have grown to a large research field. This book reviews the history and the state of the art of random lasers, provides an outline of the basic models describing their behavior, and describes the recent advances in the field. The major focus of the book is on solid-state random lasers. However, it also briefly describes random lasers based on liquid dyes with scatterers. The chapters of the book are almost independent of each other. So, the scientists or engineers interested in any particular aspect of random lasers can read directly the relevant section. Researchers entering the field of random lasers will find in the book an overview of the field of study. Scientists working in the field can use the book as a reference source.

This is the first volume of a set of three within the Springer Series in Optical Sciences, and is devoted to photorefractive effects, photorefractive materials, and their applications. Since the publication of our first two Springer books on Photorefractive Materials and Their Applications (Topics in Applied Physics, Vols. 61 and 62) almost 20 years ago, a lot of research has been done in this area. New and often expected effects have been discovered, theoretical models developed, known effects finally explained, and novel applications proposed. We believe that the field has now reached a high level of maturity, even if research continues in all areas mentioned above and with new discoveries arriving quite regularly. We therefore have decided to invite some of the top experts in the field to put together the state of the art in their respective fields. This after we had been encouraged to do so for more than ten years by the publisher, due to the fact that the former volumes were long out of print.

This book, written from an industrial vantage point, describes the characteristics, design, and operation of solid-state lasers. As the title implies, the emphasis is placed on the technical aspects of these systems rather than on theoretical concepts. Lengthy mathematicalderivationshavebeenavoidedbecausethetheoryisnottreatedasanend initself,butratherservestoexplaintheexperimentalresultsobservedinthelaboratory. However, there is suf?cient theoretical background provided in each chapter to make the book self-contained. Solid-State Laser Engineering is mainly intended for the practicing scientist or engineer who is interested in the design or use of solid-state lasers. The response from readers has shown that the comprehensive treatment of the subject makes the work useful also to students of laser physics who want to supplement their theoretical knowledgewiththeengineeringaspectsoflasers.Althoughnotwrittenintheformofa collegetext,thebookmightbeusedinanadvancedcollegecourseonlasertechnology. After a historical overview, the book starts with a review of the basic concepts of laser physics (Chap. 1). Analytical expressions of the threshold condition, gain, and output of laser oscillators are derived in Chap. 3. An oscillator followed by one or more ampli?ers is a common architecture in pulsed solid-state laser systems to boost output energy. Energy storage and gain of ampli?ers is discussed in Chap. 4. Four chapters deal with the basic subsystems of solid-state lasers. These are the active medium, the optical resonator, the pumping system, and the thermal mana- ment. Properties of solid-state laser hosts and active ions are reviewed in Chap. 2.

This book is based on the results of our interest in the ?eld of ultrashort laser pulses interaction with matter. The aim of our monograph was to build the balanced description of the thermal transport phenomena generated by laser pulses shorter than the characteristic relaxation time. In the book we explore the matter on the quark, nuclear as well atomic scales. Also on the cosmic scale (Planck Era) the thermal disturbance shorter than the Planck time creates the new picture of the Universe. The mathematics, especially PDE, are the main tool in the description of the ultrashort thermal phenomena. Two types of the PDE: parabolic and hyperbolic partial di?erential equations are of special interest in the study of the thermal processes. We assume a moderate knowledge of basic Fourier and d’Alembert eq- tions. The scope of the book is deliberately limited to the background of the quantum mechanics equations: Schr¨ odinger and Klein-Gordon. In this book the attosecond laser pulses are the main source of the dist- bance of the thermal state of the matter. Recently, the attosecond laser pulses constitute a novel tool for probing processes taking place on the time scale of electron motion inside atoms. The research presented in this book appears to provide the basic tools and concepts for attosecond thermal dynamics. Nevertheless much research is still needed to make this emerging ?eld routinely applicable for a broad range of processes on atomic and subatomic scales.

Laser ablation describes the interaction of intense optical fields with matter, in which atoms are selectively driven off by thermal or nonthermal mechanisms.  The field of laser ablation physics is advancing so rapidly that its principal results are seen only in specialized journals and conferences. This will be the first book that combines the most recent results in this rapidly advancing field with authoritative treatment of laser ablation and its applications, including the physics of high-power laser-matter interaction. Many practical applications exist, ranging from inertial confinement fusion to propulsion of aerostats for pollution monitoring to laser ignition of hypersonic engines to laser cleaning nanoscale contaminants in high-volume computer hard drive manufacture to direct observation of the electronic or dissociative states in atoms and molecules, to studying the properties of materials during 200kbar shocks developed in 200fs.

The focus of electromagnetic theory is initial boundary value and boundary value problems for the Maxwell equations. Those are the initial models, from which, by applying mathematical methods, we should extract physical results. The modern computer-aided research process can be divided into several stages: qualitative mathematical analysis of the initial problem, the development of algorithms and implementation of the problem in software, problem-oriented computational - periments, and physical interpretation of the results. The success of the study depends in many aspects on whether suf?ciently high standards of investigation can be maintained at all these stages and whether there is an “intellectual core” in these investigations that enables us to gain new scienti?c knowledge [1]. As an exampleofasuccessfulimplementationofsuchanapproachthathassettledalo- standing con?ict between theory and experiment, we can cite the development of thetheoryofresonantwavescatteringinthefrequencydomain. Theseresultshave been reported (see [2–16] and the bibliographies contained in those references), andtheyhaveservedasabasisforthedevelopmentofanumberofessentiallynew functional units and devices in millimeter and submillimeter radio engineering, vacuum electronics, and solid-state electronics, optics, and spectroscopy. The modern theory of transient electromagnetic ?elds is still lacking achie- ments that may be compared with those existing in the frequency domain, neither by the profoundness of the study, nor by the intensity of the study of electrom- netic phenomena and, as a result, by their applications. However, the process of accumulation of potentialities for a breakthrough is a process still going on.

In this second volume of the book series devoted to photorefractive effects we focus on the most recent developments in the field of photorefractive materials and we highlight the parameters which govern the photoinduced nonlinearity. The availability of materials having the required properties is of major importance for further development of this field, and there are many parameters which have to be considered in the figure of merit of a photorefractive material. As an example, it concerns in priority, the recording slope of the dynamic hologram and the saturation value of the index modulation which are specific characteristics of a given material. However, other features like spectral sensitivity range, dark storage time, material stability and power handling capabilities are also critical parameters to consider when using the crystal for advanced applications in laser photonics. There are a large diversity of potential materials which exhibit interesting photorefractive properties, like ferroelectric or non ferroelectric electro-optic crystals, semi insulating semiconductors or electro-optic polymers. If the basic mechanisms for space charge recording are well established, it is now required to have a very precise and extended knowledge of the physics of the charge transfer and related mechanisms which arises in doped materials. Also, we must know the material response for different conditions of hologram recording wavelength, laser intensity, continuous or pulsed regime. These research achievements on the physics of the photorefractive materials is of great importance in order to optimize or to tailor material properties. The main purpose of this second volume is to highlight the advances in material research but also including crystal growing conditions or material preparations and their impact on photorefractive performances. Following this objective, the reader will find in this book very detailed analysis on the material physics : investigations ofdefects in crystal, growing of stochiometric LiNbO3 or LiTaO3, a new crystal Sn2P2S6 for the near infrared, Quantum Well semiconductor structures and Sillenites.  Beside the conventional electro-optic crystals, the volume also deals with organic photorefractive materials. Large progress have been made in the field recently in term of material sensitivity and efficiency under applied electric field. It is undoubtly a class of material of growing interest. We are confident that new advances will be done on the chemistry and on the synthesis of the polymers for a better control and optimization of the photorefractive properties. A closely related field is the photorefractive effect in liquid crystals materials, which exhibit attractive perspectives due to their large photoinduced index modulation. We also outline in this volume two other contributions which have an important impact for applications : the mechanisms of permanent photoinduced gratings in Silica-glass fibers used as wavelength selective Bragg filters and the growing of materials like LiNbO3 which have to be highly resistant to photorefractive damage for electro-optic and nonlinear optic applications. This volume gives an in depth review of the present understanding of the fundamental origins of the effect in a variety of materials. All the materials considered in this volume will play a significant role in the development of applications such as presented in the third volume of this serie. The contribution of the material is determinant for new progress in the field of photorefractive nonlinear optics. It is therefore most important to stimulate significant efforts of research on the basic physical phenomena in different materials. These research achievements may contribute to the discovery of new class of photorefractive material or will permit to optimize the performances of existing materials.

This is the third and final volume of a three volumes book series devoted to photorefractive effects, photorefractive materials and their applications. Since the publication of our first two Springer books on "Photorefractive Materials and Their Applications" (Topics in Applied Physics, Vols 61 and 62) almost 20 years ago a lot of research has been done in this area. New and often unexpected effects have been discovered, theoretical models developed, known effects could be finally explained and novel applications had been proposed. We believe that the field has now reached a high level of maturity, even if research continues in all areas mentioned above and with new discoveries arriving quite regularly.We therefore have decided to invite some of the top experts in the field to put together the state of the art in their respective fields. This after we had been encouraged to do so for more than ten years by the publisher, due to the fact that the former volumes were out of print since long time.The first volume is devoted to the description of the basic effects leading to photoinduced refractive index changes in electro-optical materials. In the second volume the status of the most recent developments in the field of photorefractive materials is reviewed and the parameters, which govern the photorefractive nonlinearity are highlighted.This third volume deals with the applications of the photorefractive effects and of materials. Starting about 35 years ago the attractivity of the photorefractive effect for data storage, for optical metrology, optical signal processing and nonlinear optical applications has been recognized. One of the main reasons for this is the large nonlinearity or refractive index change, which can be induced by low light intensities by using the photoinduced space-charge fields in electro-optical materials. Many new concepts have been demonstrated in the laboratories over all these years. Several of these concepts have been proved useful also in other areas of nonlinear optics. Particularly interesting was the observation of a large energy from pump beams to the signal beam in two- and fourwave mixing experiments. This effects lead to coherent amplification of a waveform covering spatial information and to self-pumped optical phase conjugation with applications in the area of wavefront correction of self-induced optical resonators.In this third volume a series of applications of photorefractive nonlinear optics and of optical data storage are presented in several chapters.This and the other two volumes on photorefractive effects, materials and applications have been prepared mainly for researchers in the field, but also for physics, engineering and materials science students. Several chapters contain sufficient introductory material for those not so familiar with the topic to obtain a thorough understanding of the photorefractive effect. We hope that for researchers active in the field these books should provide a useful reference source for their work.

This book summarizes a five year research project, as well as subsequent results regarding high power diode laser systems and their application in materials processing. The text explores the entire chain of technology, from the semiconductor technology, through cooling mounting and assembly, beam shaping and system technology, to applications in the processing of such materials as metals and polymers. Includes theoretical models, a range of important parameters and practical tips.

Electromagnetic and Optical Pulse Propagation presents a detailed, systematic treatment of the time-domain electromagnetics with application to the propagation of transient electromagnetic fields (including ultrawideband signals and ultrashort pulses) in homogeneous, isotropic media which exhibit both temporal frequency dispersion and attenuation. The development is mathematically rigorous with strict adherence to the fundamental physical principle of causality. Approximation methods are based upon mathematically well-defined asymptotic techniques that are based upon the saddle point method. A detailed description is given of the asymptotic expansions used. Meaningful exercises are given throughout the text to help the reader‘s understanding of the material, making the book a useful graduate level text in electromagnetic wave theory for both physics, electrical engineering and materials science programs. Both students and researchers alike will obtain a better understanding of time domain electromagnetics as it applies to electromagnetic radiation and wave propagation theory with applications to ground and foliage penetrating radar, medical imaging, communications, and the health and safety issues associated with ultrawideband pulsed fields.This volume presents a rigorous mathematical development of the fundamental Maxwell-Lorentz theory of microscopic electromagnetics and its relationship to macroscopic electromagnetics in complex media with particular emphasis given to temporally dispersive materials. The relationship between both the mathematical development and the physical interpretation of the classical electromagnetic field theory with the special theory of relativity is emphasized throughout the volume.

Written by leading experts in optical radar, or lidar, this book brings all the recent practices up-to-date. With a Foreword by one of the founding fathers in the area. Its broad cross-disciplinary scope should appeal to scientists ranging from the view of optical sciences to environmental engineers. Optical remote sensing has matured to become a lead method for cross-disciplinary research. This new multi-authored book reviews the state-of-the-art in a readable monograph.

Due to the rapid progress in laser technology a wealth of novel fundamental and applied applications of lasers in atomic and plasma physics have become possible. This book focuses on the interaction of high intensity lasers with matter. It reviews the state of the art of high power laser sources, intensity laser-atom and laser-plasma interactions, laser matter interaction at relativistic intensities, and QED with intense lasers.

The papers in this volume cover the major areas of research activity in the field of ultrafast optics at the present time, and they have been selected to provide an overview of the current state of the art. The purview of the field is the methods for the generation, amplification, and characterization of electromagnetic pulses with durations from the pieo-to the attosecond range, as well as the technical issues surrounding the application of these pulses in physics, chemistry, and biology. The contributions were solicited from the participants in the Ultrafast Optics IV Conference, held in Vienna, Austria, in June 2003. The purpose of the conference is similar to that of this book: to provide a forum for the latest advances in ultrafast optical technology. Ultrafast light sources provide a means to observe and manipulate events on the scale of atomic and molecular dynamics. This is possible either through appropriate shaping of the time-dependent electrie field, or through the ap­ plication of fields whose strength is comparable to the binding forces of the electrons in atoms and molecules. Recent advances discussed here include the generation of pulses shorter than two optical cycles, and the ability to measure and to shape them in all degrees of freedom with unprecedented 2 21 2 precision, and to amplify them to the Zettawatt/cm (10 W /cm ) range.

The aim of this monograph is to outline the physics of image formation, electron–specimen interactions, and image interpretation in transmission el- tron microscopy. Since the last edition, transmission electron microscopy has undergone a rapid evolution. The introduction of monochromators and - proved energy ?lters has allowed electron energy-loss spectra with an energy resolution down to about 0.1 eV to be obtained, and aberration correctors are now available that push the point-to-point resolution limit down below 0.1 nm. After the untimely death of Ludwig Reimer, Dr. Koelsch from Springer- Verlag asked me if I would be willing to prepare a new edition of the book. As it had served me as a reference for more than 20 years, I agreed without hesitation. Distinct from more specialized books on speci?c topics and from books intended for classroom teaching, the Reimer book starts with the basic principles and gives a broad survey of the state-of-the-art methods, comp- mented by a list of references to allow the reader to ?nd further details in the literature. The main objective of this revised edition was therefore to include the new developments but leave the character of the book intact. The presentation of the material follows the format of the previous e- tion as outlined in the preface to that volume, which immediately follows. A few derivations have been modi?ed to correspond more closely to modern textbooks on quantum mechanics, scattering theory, or solid state physics.

I remember vividly the ?rst time that I heard about the ?ber ampli?er. At that time, of course, it was the erbium-doped ?ber ampli?er, the predecessor of the Raman ampli?er that is the subject of this book. It was an early morning in a forgotten year in Murray Hill, New Jersey at one of our Bell Labs monthly research staff meetings. About twenty directors and executive directors of research organizations clustered around a long table in the imposing executive conference room. Arno Penzias, the vice president of research, presided at the foot of the table. Everyone who participated in those research staff meetings will long remember their culture and atmosphere. Arno would pick an arbitrary starting point somewhere around the table, and the designated person would head to the front of the table to give a short talk on “something new” in his or her research area. This ?rst speaker would invariably ?ddle helplessly with the controls embedded in the podium that controlled the viewgraph projector, but eventually we would hear machinery grinding in the back room as a large hidden mirror moved into place. We would all wait quietly, arranging and choosing our own viewgraphs from the piles that lay on the table in front of every participant.

This book explores the role of surface effects in optical phenomena in nanoscience, from two different perspectives. When systems are reduced in volume, the ratio of surface versus volume increases. At the level of single nanostructures this translates into an enhanced role of interfacial chemistry and thermodynamics. At the level of systems of nanostructures, it translates into larger density on interfaces, which in turn leads to such intriguing collective effects as plasmonics or multiple reflection and refraction phenomena. The book highlights both perspectives presenting sample applications. Without claiming to be exhaustive, the book aims to stimulate readers in this potentially rewarding field.

This book brings together in a single volume the most up-to-date results in the field presented at Ultrafast Optics and Applications of High Field and Short Wavelength Sources 2005. The volume contains keynote and invited contributions together with carefully selected regular contributions. The book aims at the highest level of presentation to make it useful as a reference for those working in the field.

Optical Micro-Resonators are an exciting new field of research that has gained prominence in the past few years due to the emergence of new fabrication technologies. This book is the first detailed text on the theory, fabrication, and applications of optical micro-resonators, and will be found useful by both graduate students and researchers in the field.

Engineering Optics is a book for students who want to apply their knowledge of optics to engineering problems, as well as for engineering students who want to acquire the basic principles of optics. It covers such important topics as optical signal processing, holography, tomography, holographic radars, fiber optical communication, electro- and acousto-optic devices, and integrated optics (including optical bistability). As a basis for understanding these topics, the first few chapters give easy-to-follow explanations of diffraction theory, Fourier transforms, and geometrical optics. Practical examples, such as the video disk, the Fresnel zone plate, and many more, appear throughout the text, together with numerous solved exercises. There is an entirely new section in this updated edition on 3-D imaging.

Scattering is one of the most powerful techniques for studying objects with size comparable to experimental radiation wavelength without necessity to sampling them, which is called in-situ characterization as opposed to the analysis of microsamples (ex-situ). Aggregates of nanoparticles are one of the most popular media in science and technology. Combustion, thermal decomposition, laser ablation, and plasma reactors are only a few of the methods used to generate particulates aggregated at the nanoscale. This book describes an ideal walk between scattering methods, experimental techniques, and numerical simulations applied to the study of nanoparticle aggregates. The first part of the book deals with laser light scattering at visible wavelengths. Different approaches using this method are presented, which allows us to gain information about nanoparticle aggregate size, number concentration and morphology without any a priori knowledge about the complex refractive indices of the constituent species. This is particularly relevant for strongly reacting environments in which the chemical composition and microstructure of the nanoparticles are continuously evolving, such as soot in flames. The second part of the book is focused on X-ray scattering. The main differences and analogies with respect to light scattering theory are presented. A general approach is introduced to present the quantities which can be measured in an experiment of Small-Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) on gas-phase generated aggregates of nanoparticles. Exemplary SAXS applications are introduced to show how the mechanisms of nucleation and aggregation of particles can be studied with a spatial resolution about two orders of magnitude smaller with respect to laser light scattering methods. The combined use of SAXS with other X-ray techniques, such as WAXS and NEXAFS is discussed. The complementary characters of light and X-ray scattering are emphasized by treating the topic of hierarchical nanoparticle aggregation.

The development of advanced dielectric photonic structures has enabled tremendous control over the propagation and manipulation of light. Structures such as waveguides, splitters, mixers, and resonators now play a central role in the telecommunications industry. This book will discuss an exciting new class of photonic devices, known as surface plasmon nanophotonic structures. Surface plasmons are easily accessible excitations in metals and semiconductors and involve a collective motion of the conduction electrons. These excitations can be exploited to manipulate electromagnetic waves at optical frequencies ("light") in new ways that are unthinkable in conventional dielectric structures. The field of plasmon nanophotonics is rapidly developing and impacting a wide range of areas including: electronics, photonics, chemistry, biology, and medicine. The book will highlight several exciting new discoveries that have been made, while providing a clear discussion of the underlying physics, the nanofabrication issues, and the materials considerations involved in designing plasmonic devices with new functionality.The book is aimed at researchers and students interested in entering the field of plasmon nanophotonics, while serving as a reference to scientists already active in this area of research. It is written at the level of a first year graduate student with some background in electromagnetic theory and working knowledge of Maxwell's equations.