Rayf Shiell passionately balances both research and teaching at Trent University, Canada. His primary research is in optics and ranges from probing matter using high-power laser beams to exploring the optics of the eye. He teaches a wide range of courses and delights in uncovering the often surprising connections between them. His love of good pedagogy has permeated not only this present text, from which he has taught for many years, but all his work as a mentor and instructor, extending also to coaching the university rowing team. He is co-developer of the integrated testlet, an assessment tool that employs a scaffolded answer-until-correct question structure, which features in each chapter of this text. For this work he was a co-recipient of Trent University's 2021 Award for Educational Leadership and Innovation. Iain McNab is a former Dean of the Faculty of Applied Science and Technology at Sheridan College, Canada; he counts among his mentors Nobel Laureates Harold Kroto and John Polanyi. At Newcastle University, UK, he was Head of the physics teaching laboratories and led research in laser spectroscopy. He has taught widely in physics and engineering and was an early adopter of innovative methods such as the flipped classroom and web-based learning systems. Iain is a former Chair: Spectroscopy Group of the Institute of Physics and currently runs the McNab Group, teaches for Canadian Laser Safety, and is a visiting Professor at Guangdong Technion Israel Institute of Technology, China. Matthew Romerein earned his M.Sc. in Materials Science from Trent University, researching polarimetry and spectroscopy. Working closely with the authors, he endeavoured to improve the clarity, scientific accuracy and educational impact of the figures in this book. The accompanying interactive animations were also designed by Matthew, who develops quality assurance testing software for the RF industry.
‘I expect this edition to be as much a success as its predecessors. The book is a hallmark of clarity and especially accessible to students who may be encountering topics in optics and photonics for the first time. The inclusion of advanced topics highlights how the authors want the book to be a stepping stone into more specialised research topics, and the extensive problem sets - often with quantitative exercises based on real-world numbers - will make this very popular with instructors.’ John M. Dudley, University Bourgogne Franche-Comté ‘Exceptionally clear and readable! The diagrams are equally clear and well annotated, which contributes to pedagogical effectiveness. What I most appreciate is the breadth of coverage far greater than in any introductory optics textbook I have used.’ Andrew Rex, University of Puget Sound