Optics Books: Help Finding Good Books for Quantum Computing

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The discussion centers around recommendations for optics books, particularly for those interested in quantum computing. A user expresses frustration with a course that relied on a poor textbook and seeks better alternatives. Hecht's book is mentioned as a solid introductory text with a focus on modern optics, though it lacks depth in physical optics. Other suggestions include classic texts like Jenkins and White, and Pedrotti and Pedrotti, which are considered outdated. For practical optical engineering, Warren J. Smith's series is recommended. Born and Wolf's comprehensive work is noted for its depth but is challenging to read. For quantum optics, titles like Wolf's "Introduction to the Theory of Coherence and Polarization of Light," Mandel and Wolf's "Optical Coherence and Quantum Optics," and Loudon's "Quantum Theory of Light" are highlighted, with Mandel and Wolf's book praised for its detailed and formal treatment of the subject. The user ultimately finds Hecht's book to be a great resource.
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Does anyone on here know of any good optics books out there? One with a good logical structure and derivations of relevant equations. See my field of interest is quantum computing and I've been told a good handle of optics is necessary, so I took a course and got almost nothing out of it, mostly because the book was terrible. Not good if the class is almost entirely book-based.

Anyways, any tips on optics books?
Thanks in advance.
 
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optics - hecht

superb
 
What kind of optics do you need to know?
Hecht is a good intro with fairly low maths content but is a focussed on 'modern optics' - laser, fibres, etc rather than physical optics - lenses, cameras, telescopes.
Most physical opticts books are very old jenkins+white, Pedrotti+pedrotti all feel like they were written 100years ago.
Then there is a series on practical optical engineering by mcgraw-hill - look up Warren J. Smith.

Finally there is Born+Wolf - this contains everything but nobody can read it, you read how it works in Hecht and then put in the page reference in B+W to scare students.
 
Do you need a quantum optics book? Or a book discussing coherence phenomena? The recommendations above are good for understanding the optical apparatus, but maybe not the physics of entangled states.

I would recommend (for the above two areas) either Wolf's "Introduction to the theory of coherence and polarization fo light", Mandel and Wolf's "optical coherence and quantum optics", or Yariv's "quantum electronics". Loudon's "Quantum theory of light" is supposed to be excellent, but I have not read it.
 
I was also looking for a book on quantum optics. I have Loudon's text, but it doesn't seem to be going into big details with the topics covered (reasonable, given the size of it), though it does seem like an excellent starting point. So I was considering a book with a more advanced treatment.
How is Mandel and Wolf's "Optical Coherence and Quantum Optics", does it treat the topics formally (mathematically) with enough details (advanced treatments)? That is without resorting to too many approximations in order to give some qualitative ideas, but staying with good models.
 
I like Mandel and Wolf's book. It's very detailed and takes some effort to get 'oriented' to the presentation style, but then it's very clear.
 
not basic optics but I have found ""Fundementals of Photonics"" Saleh and Teich one of my most useful books and I currently do ultrafast and nonliner optics.
 
A little late to respond, but thanks all you guys/gals for your suggestions. I got Hecht's book and so far its been great!
 

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