Lasers and Electro-optics : Fundamentals and Engineering

Rating:
Summary: An excellent book of basic principles of photonics
Review: As a graduate student majoring optics, this is the kind of book that I always want to keep near me. This book combines important topics of laser, electro-optics, and more in a well organized manner. So anyone involved in laser, eletro-optics, and photinics can refer to only one book for the basic principles. The math is not so difficult and every derivation is worked out quite thoroughly. There are many useful examples of latest systems, elements too. However, the early part covering laser is not so detailed as the other laser books, although the second half dealing with electro-optics is excellent in every aspect. I had a quite hard time with Yariv's book of optical electronics, but feel pretty comfortable with this book. Highly recommendable to anyone majoring the field of laser, photonics.

Rating:
Summary: Recommended Optical Communications Text
Review: I highly recommend this text. As a student under Prof Davis in 1995-96 I used his text extensively and found it to be extremely well designed and though in all regards.

Rating:
Summary: Not the best lasers text out there:
Review: This book is intended for a graduate-level course on lasers. While covering a number of subjects in depth, there are a large number of mistakes. There has been two reprintings with corrections, so I would hate to have seen the first printing. There are many mistakes in the equations (usually easily ferreted out) as well as in the problems. The problems can be very frustrating as they are often as clear as mud. Overall however, the book does do a good job of covering most topics, but if you are looking for a better lasers book, I would go with Verdeyen's Laser Electronics (ISBN:013706666X) or Siegman's Lasers (ISBN: 0935702113)