This book pulls off the remarkable feat of introducing the basics of quantum mechanics, principles of lasers and properties of electronic materials, while at the same time carrying the reader to the forefront of research in quantum photonics. If that were not enough, the author also provides fascinating historical details of some of the pioneers of quantum theory – including, for example, a facsimile of the title page of De Brogilie’s 1924 Ph.D. thesis.
There is an in-depth treatment of quantum-mechanical tunneling together with MATLAB source code for calculations of sequential tunneling. Another MATLAB code is provided for semiconductor band-structure calculations. Single-photon physics is introduced early on and leads to a later treatment of entanglement and non-locality in quantum photonics. The quantum cascade laser is discussed in detail following an introduction to laser physics.
In sum, the book offers impressive breadth of topics, effortlessly compressed into fewer than 300 pages. There is no indication that this book has already been used for pedagogical purposes but, with the included exercises, it is eminently suited for such usage.
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.