Human Color Vision
By Peter K. Kaiser and Robert M. BoyntonThrough the application of scientific method for about four hundred years, substantial progress has been made toward an understanding of how human beings are able to appreciate and gauge the colors of things. Before that, such understanding had been wholly lacking. The principal aim of this book is to put forth some of our current concepts about the nature of such color perception. With the general reader as well as the formal student in mind, I have tried to build each chapter from fundamentals without assuming any special back-ground beyond that furnished by some lower-division study of general science and mathematics. Copyright 1996
Introduction to Surface Roughness and Scattering
By Jean M. Bennett and Lars MattssonThe subjects of this book are surface roughness, primarily of optical surfaces, and light scattering. The type of scattering is classical scattering, not inelastic scattering such as Raman scattering. We have chosen to use the word roughness rather than the more general term texture, which is used for metal surfaces made by conventional machining processes and encompasses surface roughness, waviness, and lay. Copyright 1989
LASERS
By Anthony E. SiegmanLasers is both a textbook and a general reference book with an emphasis on basic laser principles and theory. It brings together into a unified and carefully laid out exposition all of the fundamental and important physical principles and properties of laser devices, including both the atomic physics of laser materials and the optical physics and practical performance of laser devices.
A unique feature of this book is that it gives a complete, detailed and accurate treatment of laser physics, building only on classical modes, without requiring a quantum mechanical background of the readers. Essentially it is a must have for all scientists and engineers who work with lasers.
In an effort to expand the reach of Siegman's gold-standard textbook, we are pleased to offer Lasers as a PDF eBook. Additionally, we will be donating the net proceeds from the sale of each eBook to the Optica Foundation to support the Siegman International School on Lasers.
Legal Lens Anthology
By Joseph E. Gortych, Esq.This book is a compilation of my columns that appeared in the Optical Society of America's news magazine Optics and Photonics News (OPN) from June 1996 through April 2002. The goal of the Legal Lens column (1998-2002) was to introduce OPN readers to the little-explored and oft-misunderstood legal threads that course through the fabric of high technology business. The columns are presented in chronological order. Also included in this collection are three articles pertaining to lens design patents that appeared in OPN previous to the start of the Legal Lens column. Copyright 2003
Centennial Booklets
In recognition of our 100th-anniversary year, the team at Optics & Photonics News created a series of four commemorative booklets. Together, the booklets tell the story, in photos and other visuals, of our roots and evolution so far, and where the society—and the optics and photonics community that it serves—are headed as we embark on our next 100 years. Copyright 2016
Optical Engineer's Desk Reference
By William L. WolfeThis handbook was initially the brainchild of John Greivenkamp and some of his students at the Optical Sciences Center at the University of Arizona. The baton was passed to me when they realized that they should get their education first! It was intended to be modeled after the Physician's Desk Reference, which is largely a compendium of medical formulas to which the doctor can refer. This handbook is meant to provide the formulas and procedures needed by the practicing optical engineer. Accordingly, it has no derivations and only enough description to make matters clear. I have learned that this kind of writing is very hard for most of my colleagues, who really like to teach about their respective subjects. So a little pedagogy has sneaked into these pages. Copyright 2003
Optics and Optical Instruments—Preparation of drawings for optical elements and systems: A User's Guide
Optica Standards Committee
eds. Ronald K. Kimmel and Robert E. Parks
We hope you appreciate this republication of ISO 10110 Optics and Optical Instruments—Preparation of Drawings for Optical Elements and Systems: A User's Guide, first published in 1995. This open access republication is intended to give you a feel for the ISO 10110 standard and an overview of its general scope and methodology. It is not intended for use as a standard as it is hopelessly out of date. Copyright 1995
When you have convinced yourself of the usefulness of ISO 10110, go to www.ISO.org or www.ANSI.org and order the standard. Yes, we know it is pricey, but it is a cost of doing business in the optics industry. Ultimately, using the standard will save you money. The advantage of using ISO 10110 is that the optics world is global and, if your drawings are done according to this standard, they will be more likely to be understood worldwide.
If you find there are parts of ISO 10110 that put you to a disadvantage, or you have something to add to the standard, please contact Patrick Augino at the Optics and Electro-Optics Standards Council (OEOSC) Exec_Director@oeosc.org and join OEOSC. OEOSC is the US ANSI member of the ISO optical standards writing committee, TC172. As a member of OEOSC you will have the opportunity to work on updates to the standard and will receive proposed updates for review and approval.
Respectfully,
Robert E. Parks
04 May 2021
Optics Cooke Book
By Frank CookeFrank Cooke's column, "Optical Activities in Industry," has been the only regularly published forum on optical fabrication technology. For many readers, the column is the first, though certainly not the only, column read in Applied Optics. Its emphasis on the nitty-gritty of optical fabrication has resulted in the formation of a faithful group of readers from the community of optical manufacturers. Frank's enthusiastic support of the column has helped provide the impetus for the successful series of optical fabrication and testing workshops. For those of us who are column clippers, this volume will replace an incomplete, ragtag notebook collection of the columns. It is hoped that the presentation of the articles in this form will result in even wider dissemination of the technology and perhaps the rediscovery of some of the approaches and techniques now forgotten. Copyright 1984
Optics and Spectroscopy Undergraduate Laboratory Resource Book
By Kevin M. Jones and Jefferson StraitThe experiments described in this book seek to illustrate basic principles of physics and their modern technological applications. As you can see, we stretched the term "Modern Optics" to include a wide variety of experiments that in one way or another involve light. For example, see the description of a beautiful new implementation of the classic Millikan oil drop experiment. Others are perhaps more what one would expect to find under the heading of modern optics--the electrooptic effect and several experiments that explore the workings of a helium neon laser. While many of the experiments are at an advanced undergraduate level, some are readily adapted to introductory or even non-major courses. For example, at Williams we have used the "Inside a Helium Neon Laser" experiment with non-majors, with advanced placement freshmen, and with sophomores. Copyright 1993
OSA Century of Optics
We are proud to present the OSA Century of Optics. The History Book Editors—Paul Kelley, Govind Agrawal, Mike Bass, Jeff Hecht and Carlos Stroud—worked with over 50 authors to create a fascinating history of optics and photonics over the last 100 years.
Beginning around the founding of the Optical Society, the OSA Century of Optics presents a selection of people, events and technologies that were important to the evolution of optics, optical science, optical engineering, and photonics. A number of the chapters are written by the researchers and engineers that were seminal in making the discoveries that are showcased, and the book ends with 8 prominent scientists, including Nobel Prize winner Dr. Steven Chu, speculating about what the next 100 years will bring to the field of optics. Copyright 2015
Optics and Optical Instruments—Optical Coatings: A User's Guide
By OSA Standards CommitteeWritten by Rudolf Hartmann
This guide follows the format of the OSA's earlier published report, ISO 10110 Optics and Optical Instruments-Preparation of drawings for optical elements and systems: A User's Guide. Because standards developed by the International Standards Organization (ISO) often differ from national standards, the guides attempt to interpret ISO standards for common understanding. Also, national standards such as ANSI and MIL standards1 are discussed for reference. ISO does not permit other than ISO standards to be "normative" references. Copyright 1996
Optics Demonstration with the Overhead Projector
By Douglas S. GoodmanThese notes and the accompanying video have to do with optics demonstration technique, specifically demonstrations that make use of an overhead projector. The notes provide detailed information about the demonstrations. The video gives an idea of how some of the demonstrations look and how they are done. The demonstrations are not directed to any particular educational level. They can be done at a range of levels, with the surrounding discussion tailored accordingly. This is not a text on optics principles but is more akin to a collection of phenomena. The science behind the demonstrations is exhaustively treated in numerous books, papers, and articles. Copyright 2000
The Science of Color
By Optical Society of AmericaThe science of color has for its field large areas of several sciences including physics, chemistry, histology, physiology, and psychology, and it contributes importantly to many arts, including architecture, decoration, illumination, industrial design, and the graphic arts. The measurement of color is one of the most recent developments in the science of color. This development owes something to each of the sciences and contributes to all of the visual arts. No one person could prepare a properly balanced account of the foundations of the science of color. Several authors, who worked within a plan established by the Committee on Colorimetry of the Optical Society of America, and who subjected their texts to review, criticism, revision, condensation, expansion, and rearrangement by the Committee, have created this book. The Committee hopes that the result of the freely given best thought and labor of its contributors and members will be found to be a clear, balanced, and authoritative treatment of the science of color. Copyright 1963
Tutorials in Optics
By Duncan T. Moore, EditorThe purpose of these tutorials was to educate members of the Optical Society in areas of optics in which they were not expert. Clearly, over the years since we graduated, the field has changed enormously. Some concepts, such as the free electron laser and squeezed states had not been developed. I think the free tutorial is an important educational tool and one that the Optical Society should use more often. The natural extension of these tutorials is a written publication. In the original meeting, twelve tutorials were given. However, only eight have been reduced to writing. This is unfortunate, but at some point one must recognize that this is a volunteer organization and the time pressures on individuals is enormous. These papers do, however, provide a permanent record of the subfields at the time. This book will also provide a valuable and readily available source of information to those who could not attend the meeting and to researchers who have entered the field after that meeting. Copyright 1992