Nonlinear Optics

This book is about Nonlinear Optics, the study of how high-intensity light propagates through and interacts with matter. It takes the reader from the starting point of Maxwell's equations to some of the frontiers of modern research in the subject.

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Nonlinear optics, the study of the nonlinear effects associated with the propagation of light through matter, is so scientifically rich and technologically promising that it is destined to become one of the most important areas of scientific research into the next century. This book is written for graduate students or anyone interested in getting a unified picture of this emerging field. Nonlinear Optics allows the reader to see all these manifestations of the light-matter interaction as part of the unified whole. Professors Newell and Moloney show how to use these simple equations both to gain a better understanding of the physical processes involved and to deal with the practical applications. Specific topics include: the notion of the nonlinear refractive index and self-phase modulation, the propagation and use of nonlinear waves and solitons in optical fibers and waveguides, two-and-three lasers, optical bistability, the interaction of co- and counter-propagating beams, stimulated Raman and Brillouin scattering, and self-induced transparency. The final chapter discusses mathematical and computational methods such as multiple time scaling, linear and nonlinear wave propagation, solitons, numerical methods, and useful software packages.