Customer Reviews

Introduction to Laser Technology, 3rd Edition

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Around 2 months ago, this became the 4th book I purchased on the subject of lasers/optics since October; I was also given 2 other books by my committee advisor, and have poked through other resources in the library. As an engineering doctoral student--not a physicist--whose research includes the use of lasers, this book is by far the single best resource I have found. It doesn't grind you into boredom with too much underlying math, but rather emphasizes concepts and examples so you can quickly gain a solid intuitive foothold for understanding how lasers work.

If, like me, you find it necessary to drill deeper into the math, electromagnetics, and quantum theory, there are ample resources elsewhere to help you get there... this book allows you to focus on understanding how lasers work, and does so in an interesting and very readable way. My wife (whose background is childhood education, and doesn't consider herself technically oriented) started looking at the pictures and examples in the book and asking me questions about them... she usually has absolutely no interest in my engineering textbooks.

If I had to recommend a single book to start off with for someone with little or no background in laser technology, this would definitely be the one. I wish I had purchased this book first! It would have saved me a lot of time coming up to speed on the subject.