Clear explanation of difficult fundamental concepts

Coverage of new topics in physical optics

Exhaustive treatment of sampling theory and its application

Introduction of a novel technique based on ray tracing

Many informative figures and diagrams

Introduction to Optics.- Part I Electromagnetism.- Historical notes: the first discoveries about magnetism and electricity.- The dawning.- The laws of electromagnetism.- The discovery of electromagnetic waves.- Suggested reading.- 1 Recalls of electromagnetism.- Introduction.- 1.1 The fundamentals.- 1.2 Maxwell's equations in macroscopic media.- 1.3 Complex field representation.- 1.4 Electromagnetic waves.- 1.5 Energy flow and density of momentum and energy.- 1.6 Polarization.- 1.7 Reflection and refraction on plane interface.- 1.8 Dispersion theory.- 1.9 Optics of metals and absorbent materials.- Bibliographical references.- Part II Geometrical Optics.- Historical notes: from Empedokl¿s to Huygens.- The dawning.- The Arab period.- The Middle Ages.- The Renaissance.- The New Science.- The law of refraction and the speed of light.- The debate over the nature of light.- Suggested reading.- 2 Geometrical Optics.- Introduction.- 2.1 Derivation of Geometrical Optics for ¿ à 0.- 2.2 Propagation properties in Geometrical Optics.- 2.3 General properties of the rays.- 2.4 Optical images.- 2.5 Ideal images.- 2.6 Paraxial Optics.- 2.7 The method of matrices.- 2.8 Apertures of an optical system.- 2.9 Aberrations.- 2.10 Plane mirrors and prisms.- Bibliographical references.- Part III Physical Optics.- Historical notes: from Newton to Fresnel.- The Newton's Optics.- The progress of 18th century.- The emission theory and the speed of light.- Young and the principle of interference.- Fresnel.- The ether and the stellar aberration.- The diffraction and the interference.- The "Mémoire couronné".- The studies on polarization.- The transverse nature of the waves.- The reflection.- The propagation in anisotropic media.- Epilogue.- Suggested reading.- 3. Interference.- Introduction.- 3.1 Generalities on interference.- 3.2 Two-wave interference.- 3.3 Multiple-wave interference.- 3.4 Dielectric film with multiple layers.- 4 Diffraction.- Introduction.- 4.1 Scalar theory ofdiffraction.- 4.2 Fresnel and Fraunhofer diffraction.- 4.3 Examples of Fraunhofer's diffraction.- 4.4 Examples of Fresnel's diffraction.- Bibliographical references.- Part IV Fourier's Optics.- Historical notes: from Fourier to Fizeau.- The mathematicians.- New glasses and optical instruments.- The research on the speed of light and on the aether.- The photography.- The studies on the color and the physiology of the eye.- Suggested reading.- 5 Fourier's Optics.- Introduction.- 5.1 Mathematical preliminaries.- 5.2 Sampling theorems.- 5.3 Applications of the Fourier transform to the diffraction.- 5.4 Analysis of optical systems by means of the theory of linear systems.- 5.5 Coherence.- 5.6 Spatial filtering.- 5.7 Diffraction gratings.- Bibliographical references.- Part V Propagation.- Historical notes: from Kirchhoff to Einstein.- The Relativity.- The black body radiation.- The photon.- Suggested reading.- 6 Propagation of laser beams in linear media.- Introduction.- 6.1 The paraxial wave equation.- 6.2 Propagation of the fundamental Gaussian mode.- 6.3 Modes of higher order.- 6.4 Practical notes.- 6.5 Transformations induced by lenses and by axial optical systems.- 6.6 Propagation in astigmatic paraxial optical systems.- 6.7 Bessel's waves.- 6.8 Bessel-Gauss beams.- 6.9 Resonant cavity.- Bibliographical references.- 7 Light propagation in anisotropic media.- Introduction.- 7.1 Crystallography.- 7.2 The dielectric tensor.- 7.3 Crystal classes and principal axes.- 7.4 Propagation modes for the field D.- 7.5 Propagation modes for the field E.- 7.6 Relations between the surfaces of phase velocity, group velocity and wave vectors.- 7.7 Refraction at the interface with an anisotropic medium.- 7.8 Interference with birefringent plates.- 7.9 Bianisotropy.- 7.10 Form birefringence.- 7.11 Devices of manipulation and analysis of the polarization.- Bibliographical references.- Appendix A Conventions on electromagnetism.- Appendix B Mathematical relations.- B.1 Vector formulas.-B.2 Theorems on integral.- B.3 Bessel functions.- B.4 Fresnel integrals.- B.5 Error function.- Appendix C The founding fathers of Optics.- Author index.- Analytical index.