Optics (Re-typeset Edition)

Name: Optics (Re-typeset Edition)
ISBN: 9787301287521

Zhao Kaihua / 钟锡华Aug 2025

4.7

Word count: 282K words
Chapters: 74
ISBN: 9787301287521

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Summary

This book is based on and expanded from the author's lecture notes for the optics course taught in the Department of Physics at Peking University. The book is rich in content, focuses on wave optics, and uses the concept of "wavefront" as a link to connect modern transform optics with traditional optics, reflecting the modern state of the discipline. The book includes many thought questions and exercises. The main contents are: geometrical optics, basic principles of wave optics, interference devices and the spatiotemporal coherence of light fields, diffraction gratings, Fourier transform optics, holography, propagation of light in crystals, absorption, dispersion, and scattering of light, quantum nature of light, and lasers. This book can be used as a textbook for optics courses in physics departments at higher education institutions and as a reference for teachers and students in related majors and for engineering and technical personnel.

Editor's review

This book was developed and expanded from lecture notes for an optics course in the Department of Physics at Peking University. It covers a wide range of content, from geometrical optics and the basic principles of wave optics to interference devices, diffraction gratings, Fourier transform optics, holography, light propagation in crystals, absorption, dispersion and scattering, and the quantum nature of light and lasers, forming a fairly complete chain of optical knowledge. Its distinctive feature is that it focuses on wave optics and uses the concept of "wavefront" to connect modern transform optics with traditional optics, so that the textbook does not merely list phenomena but presents the discipline's overall context and modern formulation. The book includes many thought questions and exercises, making it easy for readers to test their understanding and train their derivations after reading. As a rearranged edition, it is suitable as a textbook for optics courses in physics departments at higher education institutions and can also serve as a reference for teachers and students in related majors and for engineering and technical personnel. When reading, it is advisable to proceed alongside the exercises and to value the role of the wavefront concept as it runs through different chapters.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Undergraduates in physics who are taking or reviewing an optics course
Instructors teaching optics courses who need a textbook with complete structure and ample exercises
Engineering and technical personnel in optics-related fields who want to systematically build up their theoretical foundation
Readers preparing for postgraduate entrance exams or physics exams who need to organize an optics knowledge framework

Not a good fit for

Introductory readers with no foundation in university physics or advanced mathematics
Casual popular-science readers who only want to learn interesting facts and everyday applications of optics

Reading tips

Read in chapter order, first mastering geometrical optics and the basic principles of wave optics, then moving into transform optics.
Follow the thread of "wavefront" and actively review earlier definitions when reading about interference, diffraction, and Fourier transform optics.
After each chapter, complete the thought questions and exercises in the book to test mastery of concepts and derivations.
For crystal optics and the quantum nature of light, read in stages alongside course progress to avoid taking in too much at once.

版权信息
内容提要
常用物理常数
作者絮语
前言
绪论
1.光的本性
2.光源和光谱
3.光学的研究对象、分支与应用
第一章几何光学
1 几何光学基本定律
2 惠更斯原理
3 费马原理
4 成像
5 共轴球面组傍轴成像
6 薄透镜
7 理想光具组理论
8 光学仪器
9 光阑
10 像差
11 光度学基本概念
12 像的亮度、照度和主观亮度
第二章波动光学基本原理
1 定态光波与复振幅描述
2 波前
3 波的叠加和波的干涉
4 两个点源的干涉
5 光的衍射现象和惠更斯-菲涅耳原理
6 菲涅耳圆孔衍射和圆屏衍射
7 夫琅禾费单缝和矩孔衍射
8 光学仪器的像分辨本领
9 光的横波性与五种偏振态
10 光在电介质表面的反射和折射菲涅耳公式
第三章干涉装置光场的时空相干性
1 分波前干涉装置光场的空间相干性
2 薄膜干涉（一）——等厚条纹
3 薄膜干涉（二）——等倾条纹
4 迈克尔孙干涉仪光场的时间相干性
5 多光束干涉法布里-珀罗干涉仪
第四章衍射光栅
1 多缝夫琅禾费衍射
2 光栅光谱仪
3 三维光栅——X射线在晶体上的衍射
第五章傅里叶变换光学
1 衍射系统的屏函数和相因子判断法
2 正弦光栅的衍射
3 阿贝成像原理与相衬显微镜
4 夫琅禾费衍射场的标准形式
5 傅里叶变换δ函数
6 空间滤波和信息处理
7 点扩展函数与光学传递函数
第六章全息照相
1 全息照相的过程与特点
2 全息照相的原理
3 全息术应用简介
4 傅里叶全息图及其应用举例
第七章光在晶体中的传播
1 双折射
2 晶体光学器件
3 圆偏振光和椭圆偏振光的获得和检验
4 偏振光的干涉及其应用
5 旋光
第八章光的吸收、色散和散射
1 光的吸收
2 色散
3 群速
4 光的散射
第九章光的量子性激光
1 热辐射
2 光的粒子性和波粒二象性
3 玻尔原子模型与爱因斯坦辐射理论
4 激光的产生
5 激光器对频率的选择
6 激光的特性及应用

FAQ

Can I understand this book without having studied university physics?

It will be quite difficult. This book is a textbook for a physics-major optics course and assumes readers have a foundation in mechanics and electromagnetism as well as mathematical tools such as calculus. If your foundation is insufficient, it is advisable to first build up university physics and advanced mathematics before choosing this book; otherwise you may struggle in the sections on wave optics and Fourier transform optics.

How is this book different from ordinary popular science books on optics?

This book is a textbook compiled from lecture notes. It emphasizes conceptual systems, principle derivations, and exercise training, covers complete content from geometrical optics to lasers, and connects traditional and modern optics through the wavefront concept. It does not aim for entertaining narrative but serves systematic learning and course teaching.

Are there answers to the exercises in the book?

According to the available information, the book includes many thought questions and exercises, but it does not state whether answers are provided. If you use it for self-study, you can check your reasoning through course lectures or discussion with classmates; do not assume that complete solutions are included at the back of the book.

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About the author

Zhao Kaihua Author · Chinese · 1930–2024

Zhao Kaihua (1930–2024) was a renowned Chinese physics educator and a senior professor at the School of Physics, Peking University, where he also served as chair of the Department of Physics. Born on May 26, 1930, in New York, USA, with ancestral roots in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, he entered the Department of Physics at Peking University in 1946. After graduating in 1950, he stayed on to teach and received a Candidate of Sciences degree from Moscow State University in 1958. Zhao devoted himself to physics teaching and textbook development, co-authoring works such as Electromagnetism, Optics, and the New Concept Physics Course; Optics (Reset Edition) is among his works in the collection. He received several national first prizes for teaching achievement and the International Physics Education Medal in 2016. He passed away in Beijing on November 18, 2024.

钟锡华 Author

Zhong Xihua is an author of physics materials whose publicly available personal information is limited; what can be confirmed is his work on university physics textbooks and study guides. Six of his works are included in the library, covering optics and electromagnetism. They include systematic textbooks such as Optics (Reset Edition) and A General Treatise on Electromagnetism, tutorials such as the General Course in University Physics: Optics (2nd Edition) and the General Course in University Physics: Mechanics (2nd Edition), which are listed among the national planning textbooks of the Eleventh Five-Year Plan for general higher education, as well as companion study aids like Solutions to Optics Exercises and Questions and A Guide to Solutions for Electromagnetism Problems. The structure of these works shows attention to clear explanation of basic concepts and to linking textbooks with exercise practice, making them useful for self-study and review. His books are often categorized under examination preparation and are suitable for course study and exam reference.