Fundamentals of Modern Optics With Ultrafast and Imaging Applications

This book provides students and scientists in diverse fields of science and engineering with the material to build a fundamental understanding of optics with a focus on ultrafast phenomena and its applications in imaging. As well as serving as an introduction to foundational topics in optics, it also includes certain special topics which are not found in standard optics textbooks. The topics covered in this book are: an introduction of wave optics; polarization, including wave-front structured vector light carrying various types of polarization and angular momentum with unique topology; reflection and refraction; velocities of light; optical pulses in time and space; dispersion; interference and diffraction; crystal optics of o-waves and e-waves in uniaxial crystals; femtosecond optics; Fourier optics for imaging; and geometrical optics for imaging. This modern book is suitable for a variety of courses on optics and imaging at the undergraduate level, and this can also serve as a reference and self-study guide for those wishing to enter this field, from students to senior scientists.