If one wished to define an ideal author for a textbook, one might seek a highly accomplished researcher with years of teaching experience and with previous experience writing a book. Such an author would be expected to deliver an outstanding book. The author of this volume meets the above-mentioned criteria; the outcome is indeed an excellent textbook.
A distinguishing feature of this book is its focus on fundamental principles, with less emphasis on devices or applications than may be found in similar books. The material in the book has been market tested by students at the University of California, Los Angeles, USA, where it is now expected that all electrical engineering students gain a basic understanding of the principles of photonics. The book would also be suitable for physics students.
As is appropriate for such pedagogical functions, the book includes many worked examples and is replete with exercises to check understanding of the principles. The volume carries readers from the nature of optical fields and the properties of optical materials, through to principles of major photonics functions including the generation, propagation, amplification and detection of optical waves. Readers will thus gain a firm foundation for future forays into photonics devices and systems.
Review by K. Alan Shore, Bangor University, U.K.
The opinions expressed in the book review section are those of the reviewer and do not necessarily reflect those of OPN or OSA.