Chronology Current Month Current Thread Current Date
[Year List] [Month List (current year)] [Date Index] [Thread Index] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Date Prev] [Date Next]

[Phys-L] Optics textbook



Hi Dan,

I have been using the Pedrotti^3 text (and was one of the reviewers of the
entire text for the 3rd edition).

I loved Hecht as a student and as an instructor. But I don't use it. In our
case we do not have any pre-req for the Optics course beyond the intro
Calculus based physics class. I found that P^3 is easier to understand for
students who have not had either modern physics (past the 1st year) or E&M.
My experience has been that P^3 is a better book for juniors and Hecht is a
better book for seniors.

P^3 has only one chapter on modern applications but has some excellent
chapters on lasers. I like to cover a bit about the human eye and P^3 has
one of the best chapters anywhere on that topic. On the other hand, there
is very little in the way of photon optics. (Hecht has some really cool
material on quantum optics.)

Fowles, Strong, and Jenkins & White are too out-of-date for my tastes.

Born and Wolf is a classic text but is a pretty stiff read, especially if a
student has not had E&M or is not really solid with advanced mathematics.

If you are less interested in classical optics and optical instruments but
want to concentrate heavily on modern optics, then I suggest that you take
a look at "Fundamentals of Photonics" by Saleh and Teich.

BYU has published an online textbook for senior level optics. It has been a
while since I reviewed that text, but the last time I looked closely at it
I felt that it was targeted more for seniors than juniors and I didn't like
the lack of modern topics. It is certainly a rigorous text and is
completely free.
http://optics.byu.edu/textbook.aspx

John
- - - -
John E. Sohl, Ph.D.
Professor of Physics
Weber State University
2508 University Circle
Ogden, UT 84408-2508

voice: (801) 626-7907, fax: (801) 626-7445
cell: (801) 476-0589