Customer Reviews

Fourier Optics: An Introduction (Second Edition) (Dover Books on Physics)

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This book is a good introduction to the theory of Fourier series, transforms, and optics. It assumes no previous knowledge of Fourier theory. Topics covered include the basics of Fourier series and transforms, the convolution theorem, coherent and incoherent imaging, and diffraction. Several example applications are treated as well, such as the theory of simple stellar and spectral interferometers.

Despite covering all of these topics, this is a short book (185 pages). The writing is clear but not overly mathematical. The book is a good general introduction for a scientist of engineering interested in Fourier optics, but it will not substitute for a more technical and rigorous treatment.

Paul Voyles

I used this book side-by-side with Hecht for a course entitled "Fourier Theory in Optics". I found Steward to be much more clear and readable, though at times less mathematically rigorous than Hecht. For someone who wants to learn what Fourier Optics is, I highly recommend this book. Steward starts from the absolute basics of Physical Optics and builds up to relatively advanced applications of Fourier series and transforms as they relate to Optics.
One particular thing which I found he stresses more than Hecht is the relationship between the Fourier transform of the aperture function and the diffraction pattern. I found Hecht to be very unclear about this to the extent that you could read many pages of his description of Fourier series' and transforms and still have no idea what it has to do with Optics.
However, I must add that Hecht goes into more depth in subjects like the calculation of the MTF and convolution.
In short, this is the best book I am aware of for learning Fourier optics from scratch but as the name indicates it is an introduction, albeit a rather comprehensive one.