Introduction to Modern Optics (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

A complete basic undergraduate-level course in modern optics for students in physics, technology and engineering. The first half deals with classical physical optics; the second, the quantum nature of light. Many applications of the laser to optics are integrated throughout the text. Problems and answers. 170 illustrations.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications; 2 edition (June 1, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486659577
• ISBN-13: 978-0486659572
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #36,189 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #1 in	Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Physics > Optics
  #1 in	Books > Science > Physics > Optics
  #14 in	Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Physics > Acoustics & Sound

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fowle's classic still covers the basics 25 years later, September 27, 2001

By	J. McWhirter (San Joes, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a classic introductory text on optics, that is still my first choice recommendation when people ask me for a reference to bring them up to speed on optics, optical phenomena and optical devices. It is concise, readable, and not over-rigourous; perfect for people new to the field who need to "come up to speed". Although there has been a spectacular growth in optics and photonics in the last 25 years, the fundamentals one needs to work in the field have not changed that much, and Fowle's text covers the optical bases well, from polarization to interference to lasers to non-linear optics; it's all here in a condensed readable format.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific Text, March 26, 2006

By	DonnaChang "Donna" (Riverside, CA) - See all my reviews

I was fortunate to have a physics professor use this text in his undergrad class. At the time, I considered optics as a mere curiousity. Well, I enjoyed the book and course enough to continue with the subject, eventually getting a PhD in Optical Physics. Never regretted it. I still rely on Fowles as a frequent reference, especially when deriving Fresnel eqns from Maxwell's eqns, solid state refresher, and intro to quantum theory.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Decent, economical book for optics, May 10, 2006

By	Joey Pittman (Edmonton, AB, Ca) - See all my reviews

I bought this book while taking an optics course using Hecht's Optics 4th ed. I found Fowler's book to be fairly useful, especially since I got to see optics from two different perspectives. The one really good thing about this book is it's price, and makes it a good reference book. The downside is that since it's quite short, it doesn't cover everything, moves fairly fast, and has no examples. For the price I paid, however, I am quite satisfied.