Of interest to scientists working in the field of optics or nonlinear physics, this book gives an overview of current developments in nonlinear photorefractive optics. It dicusses exciting discoveries, with special emphasis on transverse effects such as spatial soliton formation and interaction, spontaneous pattern formation and pattern competition in active feedback systems. Different aspects of potential applications, such as wave guiding in adaptive photorefractive solitons and techniques for pattern control for information processing, are also described. The author Professor Denz received the Lise Meitner Prize in 1993 for her dissertation on photorefractive neural networks and in 1999 the Adolf Messer Prize for the development of an optical motion detection filter.

Optical information processing of the future is associated with a new generation of compact nanoscale optical devices operating entirely with light. Moreover, adaptive features such as self-guiding, reconfiguration and switching become more and more important. Nonlinear devices offer an enormous potential for these applications. Consequently, innovative concepts for all-optical communication and information technologies based on nonlinear effects in photonic-crystal physics and nanoscale devices as metamaterials are of high interest.

This book focuses on nonlinear optical phenomena in periodic media, such as photonic crystals, optically-induced, adaptive lattices, atomic lattices or metamaterials. The main purpose is to describe and overview new physical phenomena that result from the interplay between nonlinearities and structural periodicities and is a guide to actual and future developments for the expert reader in optical information processing, as well as in the physics of cold atoms in optical lattices.

During the next years neural networks and systems amenable to instructions will extend their influence in science and technology. A prominent point of interest in this field is assigned to optical networks: they are small and flexible, and due to their ability of parallel processing they are devoted to the construction of small systems. This monograph explains the fundamentals of optical neural networks to physicists, engineers and device constructors.

Optical information processing of the future is associated with a new generation of compact nanoscale optical devices operating entirely with light. Moreover, adaptive features such as self-guiding, reconfiguration and switching become more and more important. Nonlinear devices offer an enormous potential for these applications. Consequently, innovative concepts for all-optical communication and information technologies based on nonlinear effects in photonic-crystal physics and nanoscale devices as metamaterials are of high interest. This book focuses on nonlinear optical phenomena in periodic media, such as photonic crystals, optically-induced, adaptive lattices, atomic lattices or metamaterials. The main purpose is to describe and overview new physical phenomena that result from the interplay between nonlinearities and structural periodicities and is a guide to actual and future developments for the expert reader in optical information processing, as well as in the physics of cold atoms in optical lattices.

I Geschichte, Philosophie und Didaktik der Physik. Geschichte der Physik: Die ersten Physikerinnen.- Physik und Philosophie.- Physikunterricht aus der Perspektive von Madchen - und Jungen.- Interferenzen: Wissenschaftsforschung als Geschlechterforschung.- II Kern- und Teilchenphysik. Einfuhrung in die Kern- und Teilchenphysik.- Faszinierende Neutrinos.- Experimentieren mit Teilchen: Beschleuniger und Detektoren.- Das Standardmodell und jenseits davon.- Quantengravitation - Physik an der Grenze des Denkbaren.- Plasmaphysik und Fusionsforschung. III Festkoerper-, Material- und Nanophysik. Einfuhrung in die Festkoerper- und Nanophysik.- Faszination Festkoerperphysik: Theorie.- Atomare und molekulare Schalter.- Nanostrukturen und Oberflachen: Physik bei atomarer Aufloesung.- Plasmonische Nanostrukturen.- Nanomagnetismus im Roentgenlicht.- Strukturlandschaften fur den Transport von Anregungen. IV Quantenoptik und Photonik. Photonik - Von der klassischen Optik zur Zukunft des Lichts.- Nichtlineare Optik an Nanostrukturen.- Atom- und Molekulphysik nahe dem absoluten Temperaturnullpunkt. V Nichtlineare Physik. Einfuhrung in die nichtlineare Dynamik.- Strukturbildung im Laserlicht.- Quantenchaos.- VI Bio- und Medizinphysik. Einfuhrung in die Bio- und Medizinphysik.- Physik und Leben.- Polymere Nanopartikel als Formulierung fur die Krebstherapie.- Klinisch-Spektroskopische Diagnostik bei Infektion und Sepsis.- Biomedizinische Physik in der Krebstherapie. VII Planeten- und Astrophysik. Einfuhrung in die Astrophysik - Die Welt im Grossen verstehen.- Terrestrische Planeten: Die ungleichen Geschwister unserer Erde.- Schwarze Loecher und Neutronensterne.- Galaxienentwicklung.- Galaxienhaufen: Die groessten gebundenen Strukturen im Universum.