A Tribute to Emil Wolf - 2005 Book Review in Optics and Photonics News November 2005
From: A Tribute to Emil Wolf - 2005 Book Review in Optics and Photonics News November 2005 http://www.osa-opn.org/issue.cfm?issue_id=317 A Tribute to Emil Wolf: Science and Engineering Legacy of Physical Optics Tomasz P. Jannson, ed. SPIE Press, Bellingham, Wa., 2005; $ 92.00 (hardcover)
This handsomely bound book presents the proceedings of SPIEâ•˚s August 2003 tribute conference for Emil Wolf, who is one of the truly grand old men of optics. The volume contains a total of 23 articles from authors in nine countries; it contains reminiscences by former collaborators and colleagues (as well as Wolfâ•˚s own account of his collaboration with Max Born), and overviews of the latest developments in the areas of optics to which Wolf has contributed. Wolf has been an active researcher in optics since 1947. He co-authored with Max Born the book Principles of Optics, which was originally published in 1959 and has become the â•ıbibleâ•° of optics. Indeed, it is one of the most widely cited books in all of physical science. Wolf has published more than 360 papers, many of which address the development of the theory of optical coherence. Wolf collaborated with Leonard Mandel to publish the denitive text Optical Coherence and Quantum Optics in 1995. Since 1959, he has been a faculty member at the University of Rochester, where he continues to hold the Wilson Chair of Optical Physics. He is also the Provostâ•˚s Distinguished Research Professor of Optics at the University of Central Florida. This volume holds the greatest appeal for Emilâ•˚s friends and associates, a great many of whom are members of the Optical Society of America. For them, the highlight may be Brian Thompsonâ•˚s recollections of the glory days of classical coherence theory in Manchester in the late 1950s. By presenting a snapshot of current topics in theoretical physical optics, the book caters to a broader readership as well. Multiple authors address a wide range of areas, including singular optics, coherence-induced spectral shifts, inverse scattering, near-eld optics and polarization. Written in an accessible style, this is the sort of book one could sit down with for a few hours. For example, Taco Visser of the Free University of Amsterdam draws the reader in with a historical discourse on a subject that we think we know all about˲Youngâ•˚s interference experiment˲ and uses it to introduce the currently hot eld of phase singularities and their role in diffraction theory. The tribute also includes the opinions of internationally renowned scientists˲including V.I. Tatarskii, G.S. Agarwal and A.A. Maradudin˲on coherence-induced spectral changes, also known as the â•ıWolf shift.â•° Nearly all the authors include reminiscences of Wolf, and some of the articles address his inuence as the main theme, such as Jan Perinaâ•˚s article on the contribution of Wolfâ•˚s work to the development of optics in the Czech Republic. In short, this book is a festschrift of uncommon quality. Its appeal goes beyond the honoreeâ•˚s circle of friends and collaborators. Tomasz Jannson, the editor, and the authors can be proud of having produced this tting tribute to Emilâ•˚s career. [ Review by Daniel F.V. James, department of physics, University of Toronto. ] REVIEWS | BOOKS
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Article submitted by:
Arie Bodek
11/1/05; 11:51:34 AM