Optical Resonance and Two-Level Atoms (Dover Books on Physics) [Paperback]

L. Allen (Author), J. H. Eberly (Author), Physics (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0486655334 | ISBN-13: 978-0486655338 | Publication Date: December 1, 1987 | Edition: Soft Cover

The authors present a clear and comprehensive account of the basic principles involved in all quantum optical resonance phenomena. The text is directed to graduate students and research physicists, and hailed in Contemporary Physics as "a valuable contribution to the literature of non-linear optics." 53 illustrations.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications; Soft Cover edition (December 1, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486655334
• ISBN-13: 978-0486655338
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #548,976 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good coverage of topics, excellent value, July 24, 2000

By 

Darren Hsiung (Berkeley, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Optical Resonance and Two-Level Atoms (Dover Books on Physics) (Paperback)

If you're looking for an introduction to optics or atomic physics, this book may be a little terse and advanced. But if you have some exposure to optics and lasers, and a good foundation in electromagnetism and basic quantum mechanics, this is a great book to have. The authors discuss the semiclassical two-level model to a level of detail which is hard to find in other standard texts. And although there is a good amount of detail, the book does not get lost in the mathematics, making it easily accessible to the experimentalist as well as to the theorist. I particularly like the treatment of the Bloch equations and pulse propagation. On the down-side, the book does tend to be terse in some areas, giving minimal discussion of the physics (although at least it does discuss the physics!), and some of the derivations are little difficult to follow. Also, the brevity of the table of contents makes it a little difficult to figure out what the book actually covers. And the notation used in some parts was somewhat unfamiliar.

But overall, if you're looking for a book in atomic and optical physics where you get the most value for your money, this book is to be highly recommended.