Table of Contents

Historical introduction; 1. Basic properties of the electromagnetic field; 2. Electromagnetic potentials and polarization; 3. Foundations of geometrical optics; 4. Geometrical theory of optical imaging; 5. Geometrical theory of aberrations; 6. Image-forming instruments; 7. Elements of the theory of interference and interferometers; 8. Elements of the theory of diffraction; 9. The diffraction theory of aberrations; 10. Interference and diffraction with partially coherent light; 11. Rigorous diffraction theory; 12. Diffraction of light by ultrasonic waves; 13. Scattering from inhomogeneous media; 14. Optics of metals; 15. Optics of crystals; 16. Appendices; Author index; Subject index.

Reviews

'Principles of Optics is a great book, the seventh edition is a fine one, and if you work in the field you probably ought to own it.' Physics Today

'The seventh edition of this classic optics text is the most thoroughly revised and expanded version since it was first published in 1959. The first chapters lay the foundations of the field of optics, covering basic properties of the electromagnetic field, polarization, dispersion and geometric optics. The chapter dedicated to optical imaging features new material about computerized axial tomography, while a whole new chapter covers scattering from inhomogeneous media including diffraction tomography. The text concludes with the optics of crystals, which introduces the reader to nonlinear optical phenomena.' Max Born and Emil Wolf, 'All-Time Favourites', Nature Photonics