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An enlightening guide to optics

Are you in the dark when it comes to understanding the science of optics? Now there's a glimmer in the gloom! Optics Demystified brings this challenging topic into focus.

Written in an easy-to-follow format, this practical guide begins by covering the nature of light, the electromagnetic spectrum, reflection, refraction, and color dispersion. You'll move on to common optical devices and effects, lasers, and optical data transmission technology. Industrial, medical, and military applications are discussed, as are exotic optics such as holography. Detailed examples and concise explanations make it easy to understand the material, and end-of-chapter quizzes and a final exam help reinforce learning.

It's a no-brainer! You'll get:

• Explanations of the particle and wave theories
• Analysis of optical microscopes and telescopes
• Functional details of fiber optics
• A sampling of optical illusions
• A time-saving approach to performing better on an exam or at work

Simple enough for a beginner but challenging enough for an advanced student, Optics Demystified illuminates this vital physics topic.

Customer Reviews (1)

Optics from twenty thousand feet...
... in other words, this is a bird's eye view. This is the kind of book that you buy your high school student or freshman college student before they ever get into the physics. This book does discuss a little of the physics - and does so amazingly well considering the high level that the discussion is taking place. You get a more scientific view of the nature of light than you would from the old favorite Seeing the Light: Optics in Nature, Photography, Color, Vision, and Holography, which has more details but is more artistic in its viewpoint, in my opinion.

The book is not all prose, there are some elementary problems to solve, almost all of them involving using equations that have already been given to you in the chapter in question, but it does give you the very beginnings of an appreciation for the quantitative side of things. In summary, before you or your physicist-to-be son or daughter gets Hecht's Optics dumped on their desk and are up to their armpits in differential equations, Bessel functions, and Maxwell's equations, try this book first and appreciate "the what and why" of optics before you are immersed in the details of "the how". It's a quick easy read.

The table of contents is not included in the product description so I show that next:

Chapter 1 - The Nature of Light
Chapter 2 - Classical Optics
Chapter 3 - Common Optical Devices
Chapter 4 - Common Optical Effects
Chapter 5 - Laser Fundamentals
Chapter 6 - Optical Data Transmission
Chapter 7 - Optics in the Field
Chapter 8 - Exotic Optics (Holography, Spectrometry, Astronomy, etc.)
Chapter 9 - Optics to Heal and Defend (Optics in Medicine and Defense)
Chapter 10 - Optical Illusions

The book is capped by a 35 page multiple choice final exam that is a mix of calculations and facts. There are also exams at the end of each chapter. All answers to all quizzes and exams are in the back of the book. ... Read more

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With the birth of the laser in 1960, the field of ... Read more

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This straightforward text examines the scientific principles, characterization techniques, and fabrication methods used to design and produce high quality optical fibers. Polymer Fiber Optics: Materials, Physics, and Applications focuses on the fundamental concepts that will continue to play a role in future research and applications.

This book documents the underlying physics of polymer fibers, particularly aspects of light interaction, and details the practical considerations for a broad range of characterization techniques used to investigate new phenomena. The book presents basic fabrication techniques and protocols that will likely remain useful as new advances address specific processing challenges. The author presents a fresh approach to standard derivations, using numerous figures and diagrams to break down complex concepts and illustrate theoretical calculations. The final chapters draw attention to the latest directions in research and novel applications, including photomechanical actuation, electro-optic fibers, and smart materials. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Engineers must read it
Excellent comprehensive book for engineers who are dealing with polymers for otical applications. A lot of practical engineering is in it!! ... Read more

Product Description
Praised as 'one of the best new optics books seen for some time', this book will provide a unique presentation of classical optics from the modern perspective. Written for advanced undergraduate students, the text stands out by its readability and stimulating discussions, close ties to experimental physics, and excellent choice of worked problem sets. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Intermediate text, very readable, conversational tone...
Born and Wolf is a classic, but tough sledding at times. If it is a common topic in optics, you probably will prefer reading about it here instead. This book has a nice conversational tone, gives insight, and is reasonably detailed (but not exhaustive). It includes a lot of practical advice in small-type paragraphs in margins throughout the book (for example, the chapter on thin films notes that the refractive index can often vary with deposition method, etc.). ... Read more

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A plain-English guide to advanced physics

Does just thinking about the laws of motion make your head spin? Does studying electricity short your circuits? Physics II For Dummies walks you through the essentials and gives you easy-to-understand and digestible guidance on this often intimidating course.

Thanks to this book, you don?t have to be Einstein to understand physics. As you learn about mechanical waves and sound, forces and fields, electric potential and electric energy, and much more, you?ll appreciate the For Dummies law: The easier we make it, the faster you?ll understand it!

• An extension of the successful Physics I For Dummies
• Covers topics in a straightforward and effective manner
• Explains concepts and terms in a fast and easy-to-understand way

Whether you?re currently enrolled in an undergraduate-level Physics II course or just want a refresher on the fundamentals of advanced physics, this no-nonsense guide makes this fascinating topic accessible to everyone. ... Read more

Product Description
Quantum optics, i.e. the interaction of individual photons with matter, began with the discoveries of Planck and Einstein, but in recent years, it has expanded beyond pure physics to become an important driving force for technological innovation.This book serves the broader readership growing out of this development by starting with an elementary description of the underlying physics and then building up a more advanced treatment.The reader is led from the quantum theory of the simple harmonic oscillator to the application of entangled states to quantum information processing.
An equally important feature of the text is a strong emphasis on experimental methods.Primary photon detection, heterodyne and homodyne techniques, spontaneous down-conversion, and quantum tomography are discussed, together with important experiments.These experimental and theoretical considerations come together in the chapters describing quantum cryptography, quantum communications, and quantum computing. ... Read more

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Students and researchers in physics, engineering and other sciences will find this compilation of more than 3,000 physics formulas and tables invaluable. All the information included is practical, rarely used results are excluded. Topics range from elementary to advanced - from classical mechanics, thermodynamics and electromagnetism to optics and atomic physics. Great care has been taken to present all results concisely and clearly. Excellent to keep as a handy reference!

Customer Reviews (2)

Don't bother
This is not what I though it would be given the title and above review...in fact 1-star is too generous. It is correct to state that this e-book has physics formulas and tables related to thermodynamics, optics, quantum physics, etc and BEGINNING students may find it somewhat useful since it does have some rather vague explanations of the formulas.However, as a reference it falls and it is practically useless compared to the "Cambridge Handbook of Physics Formulas" or the "Physicist's Desk Reference"...both of which I use on a day to day basis.

My recommendation: If the Cambridge Handbook of Physics Formulas is available as an e-book, get it instead.

Excellent reference ebook
Physics Formulas and Tables. FREE Laws of Science and Weights and Measures chapters in the trial version

This is an excellent reference and self-study guide. And for the price, it's an absolute steal. If you've been wanting a concise, yet relatively complete Physics ebook, and one that is well-written and easy to follow, I highly suggest Physics Formulas and Tables by MobileReference. ... Read more

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The material for these volumes has been selected from the pasttwenty years' examination questions for graduate students atUniversity of California at Berkeley, Columbia University, theUniversity of Chicago, MIT, State University of New York at Buffalo,Princeton University and University of Wisconsin. ... Read more

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The most up-to-date book available on the physics of photonic devices

This new edition of Physics of Photonic Devices incorporates significant advancements in the field of photonics that have occurred since publication of the first edition (Physics of Optoelectronic Devices). New topics covered include a brief history of the invention of semiconductor lasers, the Lorentz dipole method and metal plasmas, matrix optics, surface plasma waveguides, optical ring resonators, integrated electroabsorption modulator-lasers, and solar cells. It also introduces exciting new fields of research such as: surface plasmonics and micro-ring resonators; the theory of optical gain and absorption in quantum dots and quantum wires and their applications in semiconductor lasers; and novel microcavity and photonic crystal lasers, quantum-cascade lasers, and GaN blue-green lasers within the context of advanced semiconductor lasers.

Physics of Photonic Devices, Second Edition presents novel information that is not yet available in book form elsewhere. Many problem sets have been updated, the answers to which are available in an all-new Solutions Manual for instructors. Comprehensive, timely, and practical, Physics of Photonic Devices is an invaluable textbook for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses in photonics and an indispensable tool for researchers working in this rapidly growing field. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

God Awful
This is by far the worst book I have had the displeasure of cracking open. The only place this belongs is the bathroom floor, just in case you run out of toilet paper and there are no bibles laying around. Despite his heavy accent, Chuang made no spelling errors in his book. This is because the book doesn't actually use any words besides those in the title. The text is merely a 709 page long hard-bound equation sheet. If you have the misfortune of needing thisturd of a book for a class I suggest you leave it alone and instead rely on Kittel, Liu, and Singh. Keep in mind though that although Singh's book is the closest thing to a readable account of the physics of optoelectronic devices, it is still for the most part a crappy read and is riddled with typos.

A good guide in optoelectronics
From the basic concepts and physics to the branches of optical processes, the book gave a clear, specific and coherent view in optoelectronics, together with a multitude of useful problems.

Very detailed, Nice section on calculating strain effects...
I have mainly used this book to help me understand how to incorporate the effects of tensile and compressive strain in quantum well calculations. It does this very clearly. It covers many other topics, but the main points are: 1) This is a graduate-level text probably unsuitable as a first exposure to this area for undergraduates; and 2) the author is not afraid of diving into the technical nitty-gritty of the areas he covers. He does a great job of explaining concepts in a relatively short amount of text (i.e. it is terse, yet understandable for the most part) and he provides good detail, including much data on III-V material properties. As another example, it gives a complete but condensed discussion of the Marcatili and effective index approximations for calculating single mode cutoffs in rectangular dielectric waveguides for lasers or PICs. This is a great reference book for those who actually want to calculate or design something without using a canned program.

good book, but...
First of all, I want to express regret that there is no excellent book covering the area of theory, fabrication, characterization of semiconductor lasers/devices. Some are too easy and some are too difficult. The symbols and convention are not unified at all, even simple "rate equations" have a lot of versions.

Overall, this book is good for graduate students. A good companion for advanced study. However, I don't like too many equations with only few explanations. By the way, on the small signal analysis of laser modulation, I recommend Coldren's "Diode lasers and photonic integrated circuits". Rate equations there make more sense to me. If you find it hard to understand, maybe try Parker's "Physics of Optoelectronics", an 5-star book. The strength of this book is its completeness, especially on optics, quantum mechanics and electromagnetics.

Excellent book for basic physics of optoelectronics
The book starts with the very basic equations of electromagnetic and semiconductor theory and builds up to more advanced topics such as band structure calculations for semiconductors including strained quantum wells,various optical transitions processes, optical absorption spectra, etc.Inaddition, the book covers the basic theory of laser cavity resonance andthis includes the distributed feedback laser theory.Various waveguide,electro-optical modulators and photodetector principles are also treated inclear detail.The book brings you up to the level of which the researchpapers in the optoelectronic area has been written. ... Read more

Product Description
Starting from the concepts of classical optics, Optics, Light and Lasers introduces in detail the phenomena of linear and nonlinear light matter interaction, the properties of modern laser sources, and the concepts of quantum optics. Several examples taken from the scope of modern research are provided to emphasize the relevance of optics in current developments within science and technology. The text has been written for newcomers to the topic and benefits from the author's ability to explain difficult sequences and effects in a straightforward and easily comprehensible way. To this second, completely updated and enlarged edition, new chapters on quantum optics, quantum information, matter waves, photonic fibres and materials have been added, as well as more than 100 problems on laser physics and applied optics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An excellent overview of lasers and basic laser theory!
Dieter Meschede's book Optics, Light and Lasers seems to be divided into three main sections: Chapters 1-6 cover optics; Chapters 7-11 cover lasers and their application; and the third section covers "advanced" topics related to optics and lasers. The first two chapters introduce the reader to the characteristics of light through the presentation of ray optics and wave optics. The three subsequent chapters (chapters 3 to 5) discuss the interaction of light with matter. Although Chapter 6 focuses on optics, it sets up a nice transition from optics to lasers by discussing radiation, inversion and optical gain.

Chapters 7-8 provide a concise overview of the different types of lasers and some of their main applications. These two chapters along with Chapter 9 on semiconductor lasers, provide an excellent summary of the current state of the art in lasers and basic laser theory. The next two chapters cover light sensors and spectroscopy.

Chapters 12-13 briefly introduce nonlinear optics; Appendix A tries to give physical meaning to some of the terms mathematical used in optics relationships; and Appendix B scratches the surface of quantum mechanics. One could skip these sections without detracting from the subject matter or straying too far from the text.

Meschede has liberally scattered the text with sections titled "example" and "excursion." The main difference is that "example" typically presents a special case of the phenomenon discussed, while "excursion" shows a practical example utilizing the theory.

These diversions provide an opportunity to better understand the material. However, in some cases, this reviewer did not see the relevance of some of the excursions.

Optics, Light and Lasers has been translated from German, (Optik, Licht und Laser, Tenbner, 1999). Possibly, because of translation, some of the sentences require more than one reading. The Bibliography has a good references, sparingly referenced in the text. These would be more useful if relevant ones were at the end of each chapter, or were categorized by subject.

The book assumes the reader is familiar with electrodynamics, basic quantum mechanics, and multivariable calculus. It provides a good overview of classical optics with relevant examples from recent applications.

Armchair Interviews says: This is an excellent overview of lasers and basic laser theory.





... Read more

Product Description
Most previous texts on quantum optics have been written primarily for the graduate student market at PhD level and above.Quantum optics: an introduction aims to introduce a wide range of topics at a lower level suitable for advanced undergraduate and masters level students in physics.The text is divided into four main parts, covering modern topics in both pure and applied quantum optics: I Introduction and background material.II. Photons.III. Atom-photon interactions. IV. Quantum information processing.The emphasis of the subject development is on intuitive physical understanding rather than mathematical arguments, although many derivations are included where appropriate.The text includes numerous illustrations, with a particular emphasis on the experimental observations of quantum optical phenomena.Each chapter includes worked examples, together with 10-15 exercises with solutions.Six appendices are included to supplement the main subject material. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

very good book for beginners in this field
unlike most books on "quantum optics" are too difficult to read, this is a very good book for beginners

An excellent undergraduate introduction
Fox does a great job explaining a complex and dense field from an intuitive and experimental standpoint. I read this book after one term of 1-D introductory Q.M. and everything made sense. The experiments and set-ups described throughout the book are a great tool and were particularly handy since I was using the book to get ready for a summer internship in a Quantum Optics group. The only downside is that the book is quite lacking from a theoretical standpoint. If you are a bit more comfortable with Q.M., say at the level of Shankar, Liboff, or Sakuri, try Knight instead. Nonetheless, this is a great book.

Good book
This is our textbook and is easy to understand. It also has answers for the exercise questions. That helps a lot.

A proper introducton
At last we have a text that provides a comprehensive introduction to quantum optics for the beginner - both theory and experiment - and one which takes you through many of the most recent concepts and potential applications in computation, cryptography and teleportation etc.

A feature of this text is the clear explanations and carefully explained jargon - it's NOT just mostly a collection of math like some other supposedly introductory texts.

If you want to find out what quantum optics is all about - this is a great book to start with.

Excellent Introduction to Quantum Optics
I developed an interest in quantum optics in my last year of undergraduate school but I became discouraged with it since every book that I picked up on the subject was esoteric and too involved for an introduction.It seemed as if NONE of the quantum optics textbooks available were appropriate as an introduction.But then I found this book.

Although not as mathematically intensive as I was hoping for it to be, it explains the physics very well.And although it doesn't compensate for many years of post-graduate study, I was able to better understand research papers in quantum optics due to this book.

The book follows a rather traditional approach to developing quantum optics...first starting off with a discussion of important results in electromagnetism, classical optics, and quantum mechanics...then progressing to the theory of photons (discussing photon statistics, coherent states, and second quantization (with regard to photon number states)).Furthermore, it discusses the essential "backbone" of quantum optics (light-matter interactions) and then applications of quantum optics (quantum computing, quantum entanglement, etc.).

I broke the rules and skipped ahead to the applications section and I must say that everything seems to make sense because of Fox's ability to convey difficult ideas in a simple, easy-to-understand manner.

For anybody just starting to take an interest in quantum optics (like I was at one point), I would strongly suggest this book.It's not as mathematically sophisticated as Loudon's "The Quantum Theory of Light" (which is another must-have for quantum optics), but it's an excellent introduction. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (3)

Great for signal processing experts
I came to this book with a good background in signal processing (communications) and math, but not so much in modern optics. The book really brought out the connections. I was able to quickly grasp a lot of the early part of the book, once I stepped up from 1 to 2 dimensions (no big deal). Later parts were sometimes over my head, but still interesting and worth reading. Often I'd just scan slowly, getting the sense of the equations or physics without worrying about proving every detail, then read the concluding paragraphs of a section in more detail and get some understanding. If you have a background like mine, this is a terrific book. Probably pretty good for others, too, but I can't promise that.

Super Summary!
Really great book for seeing the forest without getting clobbered by the trees. I came to the book a practicing optical physicist.While I had seen all the pieces separately over the course of my education, I had never seen so much essential material presented so logically and so well.I find it light years more readable than Goodman, or Born and Wolf.O'Neill has the gift of being able to sense what is hard to swallow, and illuminating it like no other. I would elevate to an essential place on the shelf of any would be optiker of today.Would make an excellent senior undergraduate course, or gift for a beginning graduate student in optics.

Fast-paced and in-depth
Paraphrasing J.W. Goodman in his Fourier Optics, E.L.O'Neill helped consummate the marriage between communication theory and optics.
This book is not an introduction. In under 200 pages, It covers geometrical, fourier and statistical optics without patiently deriving the formulae in small steps. It feels to me like a train ride over a long distance, with many stops where the conductor points at important scenes and tells good stories that I did not know before, even for the places I previously visited. For example, page 26-27 talks about contrast reversal in a most direct fashion in real space, much more elucidating than treatments in frequency space only.
The range of the topics in this book is close to 50% of combined (Warren Smith's Modern Optical Engineering + Joseph Goodman's Fourier Optics & Statistical Optics), the depth is about 80% of that combo, while the thickness is only 10%. ... Read more

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If you want top grades and thorough understanding of beginning physics, this powerful study tool is the best tutor you can have! It takes you step-by-step through the subject and gives you accompanying related problems with fully worked solutions. You also get hundreds of additional problems to solve on your own, working at your own speed. Famous for their clarity, wealth of illustrations and examples, and lack of dreary minutie, SchaumOs Outlines have sold more than 30 million copies worldwideNand this guide will show you why! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Better tutor than my professor
I had a very uninspired professor that was mad at life and refused to explain concepts clearly. He would yell at us alot. Anyway I bought this book to prepare myself for exams and engineering certifications that require you to know Modern Physics and related concepts. BIG HELP!

A Big Help in your Modern Physics Course
Physics 212 (Modern Physics) is a required course for Aerospace Engineering Students at KFUPM University in Saudi Arabia. I bought this book instead of Schaum's Outline of Modern Physics (ISBN 0070248303) as it was out of print when I needed to buy it. Only 107 out of 527 pages of this book, which I bought, covers the chapters related to modern physics. Therefore, it does not, to my way of thinking, worth to buy it if Schaum's Outline of Modern Physics (ISBN 0070248303) is on stock. However, if this book, which I did not buy, is out of print. Then I have got another talk.

Schaum's outline Beginning physics II: waves, electromagnetism, optics, and modern physics explains modern physics concepts very well indeed.More importantly, it solves problems clearly. Moreover, it helped me a lot in doing my homeworks problems quickly. Finally, it has a lot of solved problems of different ideas that I did not find in the textbook I used for this course, which was Modern Physics (ISBN 0030015472).

I strongly believe that you can make use of this book not only in your modern physics, but also in freshman physics courses as it covers topics such as waves and electromagnetism, which I had already studied in my freshman year physics courses. So, this book could be helpful for you inmore than two physics courses and, in that case, you will hit two birds with one stone if you buy this book. In addition, it is possible that you find Schaum's Outline of Modern Physics (ISBN 0070248303) to be not good. Then, in that event, you know the alternative: Make a beeline to this book.

(Dear readers: Please note that I have rated only the modern physics chapters of this book). ... Read more

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This established text contains an advanced presentation of quantum mechanics adapted to the requirements of modern atomic physics. The third edition extends the successful second edition with a detailed treatment of the wave motion of atoms, and it also contains an introduction to some aspects of atom optics that are relevant for current and future experiments involving ultra-cold atoms. Included: Various problems with complete solutions.

Product Description
This text will thoroughly update the existing literature on atomic physics. Intended to accompany an advanced undergraduate course in atomic physics, the book will lead the students up to the latest advances and the applications to Bose-Einstein Condensation of atoms, matter-wave inter-ferometry and quantum computing with trapped ions. The elementary atomic physics covered in the early chapters should be accessible to undergraduates when they are first introduced to the subject. To complement the usual quantum mechanical treatment of atomic structure the book strongly emphasizes the experimental basis of the subject, especially in the later chapters. It includes ample tutorial material (examples, illustrations, chapter summaries, graded problem sets). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

old and new material [especially on qubits]
This book has two types of material; both well done. The first could have been written decades ago, and is the "traditional" atomic physics. Where you start with the hydrogen atom, and investigate its spectroscopy with the Schrodinger equation. Then the book takes the next logical step by going to helium and thence to heavier atoms. LS and JJ coupling and other refinements. Such material is now quite well known and you need this for a solid background.

But the book also has much more recent material. On quantum computing using qubits. These attempt to use the quantum states of small groups of atoms, to perform computations fundamentally different from current digital efforts. Enough detail is given for you to appreciate the severe experimental travails of the field, and how much more remains to be done, if qubits are ever to become useful. ... Read more

Product Description
A complete basic undergraduate-level course in modern optics for students in physics, technology and engineering. The first half deals with classical physical optics; the second, the quantum nature of light. Many applications of the laser to optics are integrated throughout the text. Problems and answers. 170 illustrations.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

A very nice book!
An applied mathematician by trade (with additional training in electrical engineering), I purchased this book to fill in background information on general optics in order to prepare me to read background material and scientific papers in nonlinear optics, a subject in which I am just beginning to undertake research.My familiarity with basic optics is limited to what I learned in 100-level physics many years ago--in other words, I know essentially nothing.The book really does deliver on the promise on the backcover that all that is needed is some "advanced mathematics (beyond calculus)" and "an intermediate course in electricity and magnetism."

I found this book incredibly nice to read, with concise explanations that contain the proper amount of detail for both veteran readers and complete newbies (such as myself). The author doesn't bog the reader down with equations and long derivations, but he explains clearly how one step leads to another, allowing the reader to quickly fill in the details of the derivations, a perfect compromise for all audiences: those new to the field can learn by doing, yet with the proper guidance to prevent the process from being too frustrating, and experienced readers needing a refresher can merely read the results.Figures are well-placed and especially helpful, and notation is clear and not needlessly complicating.

I highly recommend this book.Its value can't be denied; however, I'm certain that the book would compare favorably with other books costing several times more.

Decent and reasonably priced book
This is an excellent book on fundamentals of optics, and optical devices. It provides a very good reference even for those who are not novices in the field of optics. The book covers a great deal of knowledge for only 12 dollars. Even though the book does not include many solved examples, and it is missing many important topics in optics, I am glad I have purchased it, since it is very affordable.

Best in its class
This is an easy 5 star. For those who gave it less, please think again:
1) Title says: introduction. So don't imagine it covers every equation there is. Get Wolf's book if you like equations that much.
2) Short but concise on key subjects. To do that, you have to skip a lot of intro/background or equations, that's why there are references and citations (and better bricks/bug killers).
3) This is an intro book but also serves well as a refresher. This is intermediate level to advanced level for non-physicists, as it assumes good understanding of calculus.

To be fair, the book is not without flaws. One obvious is the name implied recent advances (although different people use modern optics differently), while the book was last revised in 1975. Nonetheless, the key component of modern optics are mostly there, unless you are into cutting edge advances. It might be more appropriate to name it as "intro to physical optics", then again the author added a section of ray optics at the end of the book...

More of an engineering than an academic viewpoint on optics
If you're studying optics in a college class using Hecht's classic text, or if you are an engineer who needs an overview of the subject, this is a good practical and economical introduction to the subject. However, be aware that this book is short on two components - details of derivations of mathematical formulas and illustrations. That is not to say they do not exist, it is just to say that at several points during the book I could have been aided in my comprehension by either an illustration or derivation that simply wasn't there.

There are end of chapter exercises included, and there are solutions to selected odd problems in the back of the book. However, there are no details as to how those solutions were arrived at. If you are an engineer, the only way to really be sure that you understand a subject is to solve problems. Thus I suggest Schaum's Outline of Optics by Hecht for that task. Often the solutions to problems in that outline are the mathematical details that are missing in this book!

The table of contents are not included in the product description, so I add that here:
Chapter 1 The Propagation of Light
1.1 Elementary Optical Phenomena and the Nature of Light
1.2 Electrical Consants and the Speed of Light
1.3 Plane Harmonic Waves. Phase Velocity
1.4 Alternative Ways of Representing Harmonic Waves
1.5 Group Velocity
1.6 The Doppler Effect
Chapter 2 The Vectorial Nature of Light
2.1 General Remarks
2.2 Energy Flow. The Poynting Vector
2.3 Linear Polarization
2.4 Circular and Elliptic Polarization
2.5 Matrix Representation of Polarization. The Jones Calculus
2.6 Reflection and Refraction at a Plane Boundary
2.7 Amplitudes of Reflected and Refracted Waves. Fresnel's Equations
2.8 The Brewster Angle
2.9 The Evanescent Wave in Total Reflection
2.10 Phase Changes in Total Internal Reflection
2.11 Reflection Matrix
Chapter 3 Coherence and Interference
3.1 The Principle of Linear Superposition
3.2 Young's Experiment
3.3 The Michelson Interferometer
3.4 Theory of Partial Coherence. Visibility of Fringes
3.5 Coherence Time and Coherence Length
3.6 Spectral Resolution of a Finite Wave Train. Coherence and Line Width
3.7 Spatial Coherence
3.8 Intensity Interferometry
3.9 Fourier Transform Spectroscopy
Chapter 4 Multiple-Beam Interference
4.1 Interference with Multiple Beams
4.2 The Fabry-Perot Interferometer
4.3 Resolution of Fabry-Perot Instruments
4.4 Theory of Multilayer Films
Chapter 5 Diffraction
5.1 General Description of Diffraction
5.2 Fundamental Theory
5.3 Fraunhofer and Fresnel Diffraction
5.4 Fraunhofer Diffraction Patterns
5.5 Fresnel Diffraction Patterns
5.6 Applications of the Fourier Transform to Diffraction
5.7 Reconstruction of the Wave Front by Diffraction. Holography
Chapter 6 Optics of Solids
6.1 General Remarks
6.2 Macroscopic Fields and Maxwell's Equations
6.3 The General Wave Equation
6.4 Propagation of Light in Isotropic Dielectrics. Dispersion
6.5 Propagation of Light in Conducting Media
6.6 Reflection and Refraction at the Boundary of an Absorbing Medium
6.7 Propagation of Light in Crystals
6.8 Double Refraction at a Boundary
6.9 Optical Activity
6.10 Faraday Rotation in Solids
6.11 Other Magneto-optic and Electro-optic Effects
6.12 Nonlinear Optics
Chapter 7 Thermal Radiation and Light Quanta
7.1 Thermal Radiation
7.2 Kirchoff's Law. Blackbody Radiation
7.3 Modes of Electromagnetic Radiation in a Cavity
7.4 Classical Theory of Blackbody Radiation. The Rayleigh-Jeans Fo
7.5 Quantization of Cavity Radiation
7.6 Photon Statistics. Planck's Formula
7.7 The Photoelectric Effect and the Detection of Individual Photons
7.8 Momentum of a Photon. Light Pressure
7.9 Angular Momentum of a Photon
7.10 Wavelength of a Material Particle. de Broglie's Hypothesis
7.11 Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle
Chapter 8 Optical Spectra
8.1 General Remarks
8.2 Elementary Theory of Atomic Spectra
8.3 Quantum Mechanics
8.4 The Schrödinger Equation
8.5 Quantum Mechanics of the Hydrogen Atom
8.6 Radiative Transitions and Selection Rules
8.7 Fine Structure of Specturm Lines. Electron Spin
8.8 Multiplicity in the Spectra of Many-Electron Atoms. Spectroscopic Notation
8.9 Molecular Spectra
8.10 Atomic-Energy Levels in Solids
Chapter 9 Amplification of Light. Lasers
9.1 Introduction
9.2 Stimulated Emission and Thermal Radiation
9.3 Amplification in a Medium
9.4 Methods of Producing a Population Inversion
9.5 Laser Oscillation
9.6 Optical-Resonaor Theory
9.7 Gas Lasers
9.8 Optically Pumped Solid-State Lasers
9.9 Dye Lasers
9.10 Semiconductor Diode Lasers
9.11 Q-Switching and Mode Locking
9.12 The Ring Laser
Chapter 10 Ray Optics
10.1 Reflection and Refraction at a Spherical Surface
10.2 Lenses
10.3 Ray Equations
10.4 Ray Matrices and Ray Vectors
10.5 Periodic Lens Waveguides and Opical Resonators
Appendix I Relativistic Optics
1.1 The Michelson-Morley Experiment
1.2 Einstein's Postulates of Special Relativity
1.3 Relativistic Effects in Optics
1.4 The Experiments of Sagnac and of Michelson and Gale to Detect Rotation
References
Answers to Selected Odd-Numbered Problems

A terrific little book to start with - and continue to use
This book is a little gem - and it costs next to nothing.

It's a beautifully concise and remarkably clear introduction to the main principles of modern optics - the ones that you are going to need over and over again as you continue into the subject.

This book gives you a great overview and set of basic foundations for every-day modern optics. I return to it often for little insights and reminders, even after 37 years in the business. ... Read more

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Part II of Virendra Mahajan s Optical Imaging and Aberrations discusses methods for determining the characteristics of an object image formed by the diffraction of the object wave at the aperture stop or exit pupil of an aberrated imaging system. Numerical results of these effects are emphasized, increasing the book's usefulness. The book describes diffraction theory of image formation of incoherent objects and examines both aberrated and aberration-free optical systems with circular, annular, and Gaussian pupils. Random aberrations are considered, including the effects of unpredictable image motion and propagation through atmospheric turbulence. As in Part I, each chapter ends with a set of problems that provides readers with practical examples.

Contents

- Preface

- Acknowledgments

- Symbols and Notation

- Image Formation

- Optical Systems with Circular Pupils

- Optical Systems with Annular Pupils

- Optical Systems with Gaussian Pupils

- Random Aberrations

- Bibliography

- References for Additional Reading

- Index ... Read more

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Provides instructions for fifty-nine experiments in optics, including -How to bend light waves with your fingers, How to make a prism, and How to build a refracting telescope. ... Read more

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Quantum mechanics does away with the distinction between particles and waves, and one of the more interesting implications of the wave/particle duality - the discovery that atoms may be manipulated in ways analogous to the manipulation of light with lenses and mirrors - has formed the basis for the relatively new field of atom optics. Pierre Meystre's Atom Optics is the first book entirely devoted to this exciting area of research. Reference links to the leading journals in the field, links to research sites, graphics, and updates can be found online. ... Read more