Singular Optics

"This engagingly written text provides a useful pedagogical introduction to an extensive class of geometrical phenomena in the optics of polarization and phase, including simple explanations of much of the underlying mathematics." -Michael Berry, University of Bristol, UK "The author covers a vast number of topics in great detail, with a unifying mathematical treatment. It will be a useful reference for both beginners and experts...." -Enrique Galvez, Charles A. Dana Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Colgate University "a firm and comprehensive grounding both for those looking to acquaint themselves with the field and those of us that need reminding of the things we thought we knew, but hitherto did not understand: an essential point of reference." -Miles Padgett, Kelvin Chair of Natural Philosophy and Vice Principal (Research), University of Glasgow This book focuses on the various forms of wavefield singularities, including optical vortices and polarization singularities, as well as orbital angular momentum and associated applications. It highlights how an understanding of singular optics provides a completely different way to look at light. Whereas traditional optics focuses on the shape and structure of the non-zero portions of the wavefield, singular optics describes a wave's properties from its null regions. The contents cover the three main areas of the field: the study of generic features of wavefields, determination of unusual properties of vortices and wavefields that contain singularities, and practical applications of vortices and other singularities.