Nonlinear optics is a topic of much current interest that exhibits a great diversity. Some publications on the subject are clearly physics, while others reveal an engineering bias; some appear to be accessible to the chemist, while others may appeal to biological understanding. Yet all purport to be non linear optics so where is the underlying unity? The answer is that the unity lies in the phenomena and the devices that exploit them, while the diversity lies in the materials used to express the phenomena. This book is an attempt to show this unity in diversity by bringing together contributions covering an unusually wide range of materials, preceded by accounts of the main phenomena and important devices. Because ofthe diversity, individual materials are treated in separate chapters by different expert authors, while as editors we have shouldered the task of providing the unifying initial chapters. Most main classes of nonlinear optical solids are treated: semiconductors, glasses, ferroelectrics, molecular crystals, polymers, and Langmuir-Blodgett films. (However, liquid crystals are not covered. ) Each class of material is enough for a monograph in itself, and this book is designed to be an introduction suitable for graduate students and those in industry entering the area of nonlinear optics. It is also suitable in parts for final-year undergraduates on project work. It aims to provide a bridge between traditional fields of expertise and the broader field of nonlinear optics.

This book reflects the latest advances in nonlinear optics. Besides the simple, strict mathematical deduction, it also discusses the experimental verification and possible future applications, such as the all-optical switches. It consistently uses the practical unit system throughout. It employs simple physical images, such as "light waves" and "photons" to systematically explain the main principles of nonlinear optical effects. It uses the first-order nonlinear wave equation in frequency domain under the condition of “slowly varying amplitude approximation" and the classical model of the interaction between the light and electric dipole. At the same time, it also uses the rate equations based on the energy-level transition of particle systems excited by photons and the energy and momentum conservation principles to explain the nonlinear optical phenomenon. The book is intended for researchers, engineers and graduate students in the field of optics, optoelectronics, fiber communication, information technology and materials etc.

Nonlinear optical materials play a pivotal role in the future evolution of nonlinear optics in general and its impact in technology and industrial applications in particular. The progress in nonlinear optics has been tremendous since the first demonstration of an all-optical nonlinear effect in the early sixties, but until recently the main visible emphasis was on the physical aspects of the nonlinear radiation matter interaction. In the last decade, however, this effort has also brought its fruits in applied aspects of nonlinear optics. This can be essentially traced to the improvement of the performances of the nonlinear optical materials. Our understanding of the nonlinear polarization mechanisms and their relation to the structural characteristics of the materials has been considerably improved. In addition, the new development of techniques for the fabrication and growth of artificial materials has dramatically contributed to this evolution. The goal is to find and develop materials presenting large nonlinearities and satisfying at the same time all the technological requirements for applications such as wide transparency range, fast response, high damage threshold but also processability, adaptability and interfacing with other materials. Improvements, besides rendering possible the implementation of nonlinear effects in devices, open the way to the study of new nonlinear optical effects and the introduction of new concepts. This book describes new concepts which are emerging in the field of nonlinear optical materials, concentrating the attention on materials which seem more promising for applications in the technology of information transmission and processing.

In recent years, optical properties of the unique atomic and molecular structures of materials have drawn great scientific interest. Linear optical properties of materials such as metals, metal oxides, magnetic oxides, and organic materials are based on energy transfer and find applications in wastewater treatment, forensic science, biomedical science, photovoltaics, nuclear technology, and LED displays. Nonlinear optical properties of materials are based on the nonlinear medium and find more advanced applications in frequency mixing generations and optical parametric oscillations. This book presents the underlying principles, implementation, and applications of the linear and nonlinear optical properties of materials and has been divided into two parts emphasizing these properties. The first part of the book, Linear Optics, discusses bimetallic nanoparticles in dielectric media and their integration to dye molecules to detect trace amounts of heavy metals at the nanometer level, as well as to enhance luminescence and image contrasts in forensic inspection and biomedical diagnosis. It shows how the integration of bimetallic nanoparticles into a ZnO matrix promotes broadening of the absorption spectrum from the ultraviolet to the visible wavelength. It explains the role of surface adsorption and photocatalytic degradation in dye-removal kinetics by Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles under pulsed white light. It also discusses the double-layer shielding tank design to safely store radioactive waste and photon propagation through the multilayer structures of a human tissue model. The second part of the book, Nonlinear Optics, presents general concepts such as electromagnetic theory, nonlinear medium, and wave propagation, as well as more advanced concepts such as second harmonic generation, phase matching, optical parametric interactions, different frequency generation, sum frequency generation, tunable laser, and optical resonant oscillator.

This book describes the fundamental aspects of nonlinear optics from basic principles to applications. Starting from the polarization induced by an electric field in a material, it relates the induced polarization to the propagating fields. It describes the properties of the induced polarization through a material response expressed both in the time and frequency domains leading to the nonlinear wave equation. The second part of the book focuses on applications of nonlinear interaction between light and matter, and considers nonlinearities in crystals and optical fibers.

Praise for the 1st Edition: "well written and up to date.... The problem sets at the end of each chapter reinforce and enhance the material presented, and may give students confidence in handling real-world problems." ―Optics & Photonics News "rigorous but simple description of a difficult field keeps the reader’s attention throughout.... serves perfectly for an introductory-level course." ―Physics Today This fully revised introduction enables the reader to understand and use the basic principles related to many phenomena in nonlinear optics and provides the mathematical tools necessary to solve application-relevant problems. The book is a pedagogical guide aimed at a diverse audience including engineers, physicists, and chemists who want a tiered approach to understanding nonlinear optics. The material is augmented by numerous problems, with many requiring the reader to perform real-world calculations for a range of fields, from optical communications to remote sensing and quantum information. Analytical solutions of equations are covered in detail and numerical approaches to solving problems are explained and demonstrated. The second edition expands the earlier treatment and includes: A new chapter on quantum nonlinear optics. Thorough treatment of parametric optical processes covering birefringence, tolerances and beam optimization to design and build high conversion efficiency devices. Treatment of numerical methods to solving sets of complex nonlinear equations. Many problems in each chapter to challenge reader comprehension. Extended treatment of four-wave mixing and solitons. Coverage of ultrafast pulse propagation including walk-off effects.

The Optical Society of America (OSA) and SPIE – The International Society for Optical Engineering have awarded Robert Boyd with an honorable mention for the Joseph W. Goodman Book Writing Award for his work on Nonlinear Optics, 2nd edition.Nonlinear optics is essentially the study of the interaction of strong laser light with matter. It lies at the basis of the field of photonics, the use of light fields to control other light fields and to perform logical operations. Some of the topics of this book include the fundamentals and applications of optical systems based on the nonlinear interaction of light with matter. Topics to be treated include: mechanisms of optical nonlinearity, second-harmonic and sum- and difference-frequency generation, photonics and optical logic, optical self-action effects including self-focusing and optical soliton formation, optical phase conjugation, stimulated Brillouin and stimulated Raman scattering, and selection criteria of nonlinear optical materials.· Covers all the latest topics and technology in this ever-evolving area of study that forms the backbone of the major applications of optical technology· Offers first-rate instructive style making it ideal for self-study· Emphasizes the fundamentals of non-linear optics rather than focus on particular applications that are constantly changing

There has recently been a rapid growth of activity in nonlinear optics. Effects such as frequency doubling, stimulated Raman scattering, phase conjugation and solitons are of great interest both for their fundamental properties and their many important applications in science and engineering. It is mainly these applications - especially in telecommunications and information processing - that have stimulated the recent surge of activity. This book is a self contained account of the most important principles of nonlinear optics. Assuming only a familiarity with basic mathematics, the fundamentals of nonlinear optics are fully developed from basic concepts. The essential quantum mechanical apparatus is introduced and explained. In later chapters the underlying ideas are illustrated by discussing particular experimental configurations and materials. This book will be an invaluable introduction to the field for beginning graduates in physics or engineering, and will provide an excellent overview and reference work for active researchers in the field.

Mathematical methods play a significant role in the rapidly growing field of nonlinear optical materials. This volume discusses a number of successful or promising contributions. The overall theme of this volume is twofold: (1) the challenges faced in computing and optimizing nonlinear optical material properties; and (2) the exploitation of these properties in important areas of application. These include the design of optical amplifiers and lasers, as well as novel optical switches. Research topics in this volume include how to exploit the magnetooptic effect, how to work with the nonlinear optical response of materials, how to predict laser-induced breakdown in efficient optical devices, and how to handle electron cloud distortion in femtosecond processes.

This volume brings together contributions from world renowned researchers on molecular nonlinear optics. It takes as its impetus work done over the last five years in which newly developed optoelectronic devices havedeepened our understanding of the fundamental physics and chemistry underlying these materials. Organic materials involving thin films, polymers, and resulting devices will be emphasized.