Optical Resonance and Two Level Atoms

Rating:
Summary: Good coverage of topics, excellent value
Review: If you're looking for an introduction to optics or atomic physics, this book may be a little terse and advanced. But if you have some exposure to optics and lasers, and a good foundation in electromagnetism and basic quantum mechanics, this is a great book to have. The authors discuss the semiclassical two-level model to a level of detail which is hard to find in other standard texts. And although there is a good amount of detail, the book does not get lost in the mathematics, making it easily accessible to the experimentalist as well as to the theorist. I particularly like the treatment of the Bloch equations and pulse propagation. On the down-side, the book does tend to be terse in some areas, giving minimal discussion of the physics (although at least it does discuss the physics!), and some of the derivations are little difficult to follow. Also, the brevity of the table of contents makes it a little difficult to figure out what the book actually covers. And the notation used in some parts was somewhat unfamiliar.

But overall, if you're looking for a book in atomic and optical physics where you get the most value for your money, this book is to be highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Good coverage of topics, excellent value
Review: If you're looking for an introduction to optics or atomic physics, this book may be a little terse and advanced. But if you have some exposure to optics and lasers, and a good foundation in electromagnetism and basic quantum mechanics, this is a great book to have. The authors discuss the semiclassical two-level model to a level of detail which is hard to find in other standard texts. And although there is a good amount of detail, the book does not get lost in the mathematics, making it easily accessible to the experimentalist as well as to the theorist. I particularly like the treatment of the Bloch equations and pulse propagation. On the down-side, the book does tend to be terse in some areas, giving minimal discussion of the physics (although at least it does discuss the physics!), and some of the derivations are little difficult to follow. Also, the brevity of the table of contents makes it a little difficult to figure out what the book actually covers. And the notation used in some parts was somewhat unfamiliar.

But overall, if you're looking for a book in atomic and optical physics where you get the most value for your money, this book is to be highly recommended.