Introduction to Modern Optics (Dover Books on Physics) [Paperback]

This is a classic introductory text on optics, that is still my first choice recommendation when people ask me for a reference to bring them up to speed on optics, optical phenomena and optical devices. It is concise, readable, and not over-rigourous; perfect for people new to the field who need to "come up to speed". Although there has been a spectacular growth in optics and photonics in the last 25 years, the fundamentals one needs to work in the field have not changed that much, and Fowle's text covers the optical bases well, from polarization to interference to lasers to non-linear optics; it's all here in a condensed readable format.

If you're studying optics in a college class using Hecht's classic text, or if you are an engineer who needs an overview of the subject, this is a good practical and economical introduction to the subject. However, be aware that this book is short on two components - details of derivations of mathematical formulas and illustrations. That is not to say they do not exist, it is just to say that at several points during the book I could have been aided in my comprehension by either an illustration or derivation that simply wasn't there.

There are end of chapter exercises included, and there are solutions to selected odd problems in the back of the book. However, there are no details as to how those solutions were arrived at. If you are an engineer, the only way to really be sure that you understand a subject is to solve problems. Thus I suggest Schaum's Outline of Optics by Hecht for that task. Often the solutions to problems in that outline are the mathematical details that are missing in this book!

The table of contents are not included in the product description, so I add that here:
Chapter 1 The Propagation of Light
1.1 Elementary Optical Phenomena and the Nature of Light
1.2 Electrical Consants and the Speed of Light
1.3 Plane Harmonic Waves. Phase Velocity
1.4 Alternative Ways of Representing Harmonic Waves
1.5 Group Velocity
1.6 The Doppler Effect
Chapter 2 The Vectorial Nature of Light
2.1 General Remarks
2.2 Energy Flow. The Poynting Vector
2.3 Linear Polarization
2.4 Circular and Elliptic Polarization
2.5 Matrix Representation of Polarization. The Jones Calculus
2.6 Reflection and Refraction at a Plane Boundary
2.7 Amplitudes of Reflected and Refracted Waves. Fresnel's Equations
2.8 The Brewster Angle
2.9 The Evanescent Wave in Total Reflection
2.10 Phase Changes in Total Internal Reflection
2.11 Reflection Matrix
Chapter 3 Coherence and Interference
3.1 The Principle of Linear Superposition
3.2 Young's Experiment
3.3 The Michelson Interferometer
3.4 Theory of Partial Coherence. Visibility of Fringes
3.5 Coherence Time and Coherence Length
3.6 Spectral Resolution of a Finite Wave Train. Coherence and Line Width
3.7 Spatial Coherence
3.8 Intensity Interferometry
3.9 Fourier Transform Spectroscopy
Chapter 4 Multiple-Beam Interference
4.1 Interference with Multiple Beams
4.2 The Fabry-Perot Interferometer
4.3 Resolution of Fabry-Perot Instruments
4.4 Theory of Multilayer Films
Chapter 5 Diffraction
5.1 General Description of Diffraction
5.2 Fundamental Theory
5.3 Fraunhofer and Fresnel Diffraction
5.4 Fraunhofer Diffraction Patterns
5.5 Fresnel Diffraction Patterns
5.6 Applications of the Fourier Transform to Diffraction
5.7 Reconstruction of the Wave Front by Diffraction. Holography
Chapter 6 Optics of Solids
6.1 General Remarks
6.2 Macroscopic Fields and Maxwell's Equations
6.3 The General Wave Equation
6.4 Propagation of Light in Isotropic Dielectrics. Dispersion
6.5 Propagation of Light in Conducting Media
6.6 Reflection and Refraction at the Boundary of an Absorbing Medium
6.7 Propagation of Light in Crystals
6.8 Double Refraction at a Boundary
6.9 Optical Activity
6.10 Faraday Rotation in Solids
6.11 Other Magneto-optic and Electro-optic Effects
6.12 Nonlinear Optics
Chapter 7 Thermal Radiation and Light Quanta
7.1 Thermal Radiation
7.2 Kirchoff's Law. Blackbody Radiation
7.3 Modes of Electromagnetic Radiation in a Cavity
7.4 Classical Theory of Blackbody Radiation. The Rayleigh-Jeans Fo
7.5 Quantization of Cavity Radiation
7.6 Photon Statistics. Planck's Formula
7.7 The Photoelectric Effect and the Detection of Individual Photons
7.8 Momentum of a Photon. Light Pressure
7.9 Angular Momentum of a Photon
7.10 Wavelength of a Material Particle. de Broglie's Hypothesis
7.11 Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle
Chapter 8 Optical Spectra
8.1 General Remarks
8.2 Elementary Theory of Atomic Spectra
8.3 Quantum Mechanics
8.4 The Schrödinger Equation
8.5 Quantum Mechanics of the Hydrogen Atom
8.6 Radiative Transitions and Selection Rules
8.7 Fine Structure of Specturm Lines. Electron Spin
8.8 Multiplicity in the Spectra of Many-Electron Atoms. Spectroscopic Notation
8.9 Molecular Spectra
8.10 Atomic-Energy Levels in Solids
Chapter 9 Amplification of Light. Lasers
9.1 Introduction
9.2 Stimulated Emission and Thermal Radiation
9.3 Amplification in a Medium
9.4 Methods of Producing a Population Inversion
9.5 Laser Oscillation
9.6 Optical-Resonaor Theory
9.7 Gas Lasers
9.8 Optically Pumped Solid-State Lasers
9.9 Dye Lasers
9.10 Semiconductor Diode Lasers
9.11 Q-Switching and Mode Locking
9.12 The Ring Laser
Chapter 10 Ray Optics
10.1 Reflection and Refraction at a Spherical Surface
10.2 Lenses
10.3 Ray Equations
10.4 Ray Matrices and Ray Vectors
10.5 Periodic Lens Waveguides and Opical Resonators
Appendix I Relativistic Optics
1.1 The Michelson-Morley Experiment
1.2 Einstein's Postulates of Special Relativity
1.3 Relativistic Effects in Optics
1.4 The Experiments of Sagnac and of Michelson and Gale to Detect Rotation
References
Answers to Selected Odd-Numbered Problems

I was fortunate to have a physics professor use this text in his undergrad class. At the time, I considered optics as a mere curiousity. Well, I enjoyed the book and course enough to continue with the subject, eventually getting a PhD in Optical Physics. Never regretted it. I still rely on Fowles as a frequent reference, especially when deriving Fresnel eqns from Maxwell's eqns, solid state refresher, and intro to quantum theory.