Optical Radiation and Matter

Optical Radiation and Matter provides a deeper look at electricity and magnetism and the interaction of optical radiation with molecules and solid materials. The focus is on developing an understanding of the sources of light, how light moves through matter, and how external electric and magnetic fields can influence the way light waves propagate through materials.

Classroom tested for over 30 years and now revised and expanded, this textbook provides introductory chapters reviewing the basics before moving into more advanced topics. With an introduction, worked examples, and end-of-chapter problems for each chapter, this textbook is suitable for readers with a background in electricity and magnetism at an advanced undergraduate level and will complement any course on advanced electricity and magnetism, electro-optics, and radiation and matter.

Key Features

• Starts with the key basic concepts of electricity and magnetism.

• Includes many fundamental concepts of both optical radiation and materials.

• Addresses applications of a wide variety of optical radiation principles.

• Worked examples throughout.

• Exercises at the end of each chapter.

Robert J. Brecha graduated from Wright State University (B.S. in Physics, 1983) and from the University of Texas at Austin (Ph.D. in Physics, 1990) where his research focus was in the field of Quantum Optics. Since 1993 he has been at the University of Dayton where he is Professor of Physics, was a member of the Electro-optics Program, and is now affiliated with the Renewable and Clean Energy Program. He was founding coordinator of the Sustainability, Energy and the Environment (SEE) initiative from 2007 - 2015. From 2006-2017 he was a regular visiting scientist at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) in Germany, including one year as a Fulbright Fellow (2010-2011), and was visiting scientist at the Berlin think-tank Climate Analytics during 2018. He has published numerous papers on theoretical and experimental aspects of cavity quantum electrodynamics and molecular spectroscopy. More recently his research publications focus on energy efficiency in buildings, climate change mitigation strategies, and energy needs for sustainable development.