Guided Wave Optics and Photonic Devices introduces readers to a broad cross-section of topics in this area, from the basics of guided wave optics and nonlinear optics to biophotonics. The book is inspired by and expands on lectures delivered by distinguished speakers at a three-week school on guided wave optics and devices organized at the CSIR-Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute in Kolkata in 2011. An Introduction to Guided Wave Optics and Photonic Devices: Principles, Applications, and Future Directions The book discusses the concept of modes in a guided medium from first principles, emphasizing the importance of dispersion properties in optical fibers. It describes fabrication and characterization techniques of rare-earth-doped optical fibers for amplifiers and lasers, with an eye to future applications. Avoiding complex mathematical formalism, it also presents the basic theory and operational principles of fiber amplifiers and lasers. The book examines techniques for writing fiber Bragg gratings, which are of particular interest for smart sensing applications. A chapter focuses on the fundamental principles of Fourier optics and its implementation in guided wave optics. In addition, the book explains the critical phenomena of soliton dynamics and supercontinuum generation in photonic crystal fiber, including its fabrication process and characteristics. It also looks at plasmonics in guided media and nonlinearity in stratified media-both key areas for future research. The last chapter explores the importance of lasers in biophotonic applications. Written by experts engaged in teaching, research, and development in optics and photonics, this reference brings together fundamentals and recent advances in one volume. It offers a valuable overview of the field for students and researchers alike and identifies directions for future research in guided wave and photonic device technology.

Guided Wave Optics and Photonic Devices introduces readers to a broad cross-section of topics in this area, from the basics of guided wave optics and nonlinear optics to biophotonics. The book is inspired by and expands on lectures delivered by distinguished speakers at a three-week school on guided wave optics and devices organized at the CSIR-Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute in Kolkata in 2011. An Introduction to Guided Wave Optics and Photonic Devices: Principles, Applications, and Future Directions The book discusses the concept of modes in a guided medium from first principles, emphasizing the importance of dispersion properties in optical fibers. It describes fabrication and characterization techniques of rare-earth-doped optical fibers for amplifiers and lasers, with an eye to future applications. Avoiding complex mathematical formalism, it also presents the basic theory and operational principles of fiber amplifiers and lasers. The book examines techniques for writing fiber Bragg gratings, which are of particular interest for smart sensing applications. A chapter focuses on the fundamental principles of Fourier optics and its implementation in guided wave optics. In addition, the book explains the critical phenomena of soliton dynamics and supercontinuum generation in photonic crystal fiber, including its fabrication process and characteristics. It also looks at plasmonics in guided media and nonlinearity in stratified media-both key areas for future research. The last chapter explores the importance of lasers in biophotonic applications. Written by experts engaged in teaching, research, and development in optics and photonics, this reference brings together fundamentals and recent advances in one volume. It offers a valuable overview of the field for students and researchers alike and identifies directions for future research in guided wave and photonic device technology.

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.

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. Lasers: Theory and Applications 2nd Edition will provide a coherent presentation of the basic physics behind the working of the laser along with some of their most important applications. Numerical examples are scattered throughout the book for helping the student gain a better appreciation of the concepts and problems at the end of each chapter and provides the student a better understanding of the basics and help in applying the concepts to practical situations. This book serves as a text in a course on lasers and their applications for students majoring in various disciplines such as Physics, Chemistry and Electrical Engineering.

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. Lasers: Theory and Applications 2nd Edition will provide a coherent presentation of the basic physics behind the working of the laser along with some of their most important applications. Numerical examples are scattered throughout the book for helping the student gain a better appreciation of the concepts and problems at the end of each chapter and provides the student a better understanding of the basics and help in applying the concepts to practical situations. This book serves as a text in a course on lasers and their applications for students majoring in various disciplines such as Physics, Chemistry and Electrical Engineering.

An understanding of quantum mechanics is vital to all students of physics, chemistry and electrical engineering, but requires a lot of mathematical concepts, the details of which are given with great clarity in this book. Various concepts have been derived from first principles, so it can also be used for self-study. The chapters on the JWKB approximation, time-independent perturbation theory and effects of magnetic field stand out for their clarity and easy-to-understand mathematics. Two complete chapters on the linear harmonic oscillator provide a very detailed discussion of one of the most fundamental problems in quantum mechanics. Operator algebra is used to show the ease with which one can calculate the harmonic oscillator wave functions and study the evolution of the coherent state. Similarly, three chapters on angular momentum give a detailed account of this important problem. Perhaps the most attractive feature of the book is the excellent balance between theory and applications and the large number of applications in such diverse areas as astrophysics, nuclear physics, atomic and molecular spectroscopy, solid-state physics, and quantum well structures.

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.

The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 2015 as the International Year of Light (IYL 2015). The IYL was to recognize the tremendous applications of light in our everyday lives: from the benefits of sunlight, to the intricate processes in our eyes, to holography, to fiber optic communications across oceans, to extremely important applications of lasers from eye surgery to drilling holes in steel and to numerous other areas. From its inception, The National Academy of Sciences, India (the oldest Science Academy in India) is committed to bringing scientific developments to the benefit of the society at large. Keeping this in mind, and as a part of the celebration of IYL 2015, the Academy entrusted the editors to bring out a book in which various aspects of light and light-based technologies will be lucidly described by experts with the aim to enthuse young students, teachers and the general public to get interested in studying more about light and be aware of its phenomenal applications. The editors were very fortunate to get a large number of experts to agree to contribute to this book. Of course, there are many other very interesting areas which could have been covered. We hope that the book will be able to enthuse the younger generation to study more about light.

Since the fabrication of the first laser in 1960, research and development in the area of optics has grown with tremendous speed. Optics has now become an extremely important area of study in schools, colleges and universities.Because of optics’ numerous applications, the United Nations General Assembly has proclaimed 2015 as the International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies (IYL 2015). There will be year-long festivals associated with the International Year of Light. This book (written primarily to encourage young students to study light) is a part of this celebration.

The equation of state was originally developed for ideal gases, and proved central to the development of early molecular and atomic physics. Increasingly sophisticated equations of state have been developed to take into account molecular interactions, quantization, relativistic effects, etc.

Extreme conditions of matter are encountered both in nature and in the laboratory, for example in the centres of stars, in relativistic collisions of heavy nuclei, in inertial confinement fusion (where a temperature of 10"9" K and a pressure of up to a billion atmospheres can be achieved). A sound knowledge of the equation of state is a prerequisite for understanding processes at very high temperatures and pressures, as noted in some recent developments.

This book presents a detailed pedagogical account of the equation of state and its applications in several important and fast-growing topics in theoretical physics, chemistry and engineering.

A collection of problems in electromagnetics for the undergraduate level, this book covers the basic as well as some applied aspects. Apart from fundamental areas like electrostatics, magnetostatics, wave propagation, reflection and refraction, the book also has problems in magnetic circuits, metallic waveguides and dielectric waveguides. Many of these problems have been evolved over the past decade of teaching the course to undergraduate students.The problems are at various levels of difficulty, starting from the simplest. Some of the problems should help the reader in further understanding the field and also in the application of the basic understanding. Along with the problems solutions to all the problems have been provided to help the reader to test his/her understanding of the concepts.

The Special Theory of Relativity is considered as one of the two major revolutions of the twentieth century, the second one being the `quantum theory’. Roger Penrose wrote: `Albert Einstein had such extraordinary deep perceptions of the workings of Nature that he laid foundation stones for both of these twentieth century revolutions in the single year of 1905.’ Since Einstein is considered as one of the supreme intellects of all time, Chapter 1 gives his brief life sketch. The following chapters, explain (in an easy-to-understand manner) the basic physics and the fascinating consequences of the Special Theory of Relativity.

Albert Einstein is still an icon for most people even though many other great scientists of the twentieth century have had more direct impact on our lives than Einstein has. Einstein’s enduring public image has to do with the style of his science and social world around him. This book gives a glimpse of his science, philosophy, and his troubled personal life. Einstein once remarked ""Most of the fundamental ideas of science are essentially simple, and may, as a rule, be expressed in a language comprehensible to everyone."" This book is written according to this belief and contains no equations or complicated scientific data so that even a layperson can have a close look at the genius of one of the greatest scientist ever born.

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. The book emphasizes physical and engineering aspects of the subject. It will be an ideal textbook for undergraduate or graduate students taking courses in optical fiber communications, photonics, or optoelectronics.