The first book on Localized Waves--a subject of phenomenal worldwide research with important

applications from secure communications to medicine

Localized waves--also known as non-diffractive waves--are beams and pulses capable of resisting diffraction and dispersion over long distances even in non-guiding media. Predicted to exist in the early 1970s and obtained theoretically and experimentally as solutions to the wave equations starting in 1992, localized waves now garner intense worldwide research with applications in all fields where a role is played by a wave equation, from electromagnetism to acoustics and quantum physics. In the electromagnetics areas, they are paving the way, for instance, to ubiquitous secure communications in the range of millimeter waves, terahertz frequencies, and optics. At last, the localized waves with an envelope at rest are expected to have important applications especially in medicine.

Localized Waves brings together the world's most productive researchers in the field to offer a well-balanced presentation of theory and experiments in this new and exciting subject. Composed of thirteen chapters, this dynamic volume:

Presents a thorough review of the theoretical foundation and historical aspects of localized waves

Explores the interconnections of the subject with other technologies and scientific areas

Analyzes the effect of arbitrary anisotropies on both continuous-wave and pulsed non-diffracting fields

Describes the physical nature and experimental implementation of localized waves

Provides a general overview of wave localization, for example in photonic crystals, which have received increasing attention in recent years

Localized Waves is the first book to cover this emerging topic, making it an indispensable resource in particular for researchers in electromagnetics, acoustics, fundamental physics, and free-space communications, while also serving as a requisite text for graduate students.

This continuation and extension of the successful book "Localized Waves" by the same editors brings together leading researchers in non-diffractive waves to cover the most important results in their field and as such is the first to present the current state.
The well-balanced presentation of theory and experiments guides readers through the background of different types of non-diffractive waves, their generation, propagation, and possible applications. The authors include a historical account of the development of the field, and cover different types of non-diffractive waves, including Airy waves and realistic, finite-energy solutions suitable for experimental realization. Apart from basic research, the concepts explained here have promising applications in a wide range of technologies, from wireless communication to acoustics and bio-medical imaging.