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Title: Polarized Light in Optics and Spectroscopy by David S. Kliger, James W. Lewis, Cora Einterz Randall ISBN: 0124149758 Publisher: Academic Press Pub. Date: July, 1990 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $104.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 5
Rating: 5
Summary: An excellent reference on polarized light
Comment: This is one of the best books I've found on the general subject of polarized light. I bought it because I wanted a ready desk reference that would put all I needed to know about the Jones and Muller calculus, along with the Poincare sphere, in one source. I also wanted a book that lists the Jones and Muller matrices for all sorts of idealized and real-world optical components. This book has it all, and more.
Chapter one is a quick review of the nature of light, with interesting historical information and a quick blurb on spectroscopy and an interesting table showing the types of atomic/nuclear transitions and the emission wavelength associated with each. This chapter is really just an extension of the preface.
Chapter two introduces the basic concepts of polarization in an electro-magnetic wave, including the equation of the electric field for elliptically polarized light, with extra emphasis on the two extremes (linear and circular polarization). Chapter two includes some useful pictorial examples of polarized light. The authors have been careful to define their terms well. They also have a rather lengthy footnote in chapter two that establishes their conventions for describing circularly polarized light. Also helpful is their inclusion of a list at the end of each chapter containing the mathematical symbols used in the chapter and their meanings.
Chapter three introduces common devices used to control polarized light, including linear polarizers made of dichroic as well as birefringent materials, and those constructed by such techniques as stacks of tilted glass plates. The chapter also introduces the concept of phase plates used to construct retarders, and gives useful physical information for materials commonly used in their construction. Artifacts due to retarders and polarizers are also discussed, along with a rather superficial discussion about depolarizers. The end of the chapter has a neat discussion about Haidinger's brushes and how you can use them to "cure" polarization blindness.
Chapter 4 is among the book's most useful. This chapter introduces the Jones Calculus, Mueller Calculus, and the Poincare sphere. This is the chapter in the book that I find myself returning to most often, along with appendix A (Jones and Stokes vectors of various forms of polarized light), and appendix B (Jones and Mueller matrices for various polarizing or polarization-sensitive optical components). Chapter 4 and appendixes A and B alone are sufficient justification for purchasing the book. The appendices, for example, are quite complete, listing matrices for everything from the general elliptical polarizer to the general elliptical retarder (there are 19 entries for Jones matrices alone).
The authors develop the Jones and Muller calculus in a manner that's easy to follow yet both rigorous and insightful. The book makes no apologies about the use of mathematics, and uses equations and derivations liberally. The level of mathematics is easy, however, being nothing more than linear algebra for the most part. There are also useful examples of how to use the Jones and Muller matrix methods to solve simple problems. The chapter introduces the Jones calculus first, then the Muller calculus, and finishes off with a good discussion and explanation of the Poincare sphere.
Chapter 5 covers the Jones and Muller calculus again, this time with more mathematical involvement and in greater detail. Chapter 5 also describes the Poincare sphere in more detail as well. Chapter 4 aims more at the initial introduction and relatively simple practical applications, while chapter 5 deals with such subjects as the analytical relationship between the coordinates of the Poincare sphere, the Stokes parameters, and the electric vector describing the light.
The first 5 chapters constitute the book's coverage of the general principles of polarization. The rest of the book deals with applied issues relating to polarization. For example, chapter 6 deals with the physics of spectroscopy and polarized light, chapter 7 deals with orientation and photoselection effects, and chapter 8 (the last chapter) covers polarized light in condensed phases.
I bought the book because I wanted a complete and authoritative reference for the general principles of polarization. I was especially looking for a text that succinctly yet accurately and completely introduced the mathematical concepts of the Jones and Muller calculus, and that provided a clear description of the Poincare sphere. Furthermore, I wanted a reference book that listed the transfer matrices (both in the Jones and Muller calculus) for a wide assortment of idealized and real-world optical components that interact with polarized light. The book has been everything I was looking for and is the best I've found on the subject.
If you work with or have an interest in polarized light and it's quantitative analysis, I highly recommend this book.
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Title: Polarized Light: Fundamentals and Applications (Optical Engineering, Vol 36) by Edward Collett ISBN: 0824787293 Publisher: Marcel Dekker Pub. Date: 16 December, 1992 List Price(USD): $225.00 |
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