Dr. Tim Myers, principal investigator of
the Industrial
Mathematics research group at the CRM, has published a new book in
collaboration with professors Wolfgang Bacsa (CEMES CNRS et Université de
Toulouse) and Revathi Bacsa (RR BACSA Scientific) under the title Optics Near Surfaces and
at the Nanometer Scale.
This book explores the physical
phenomena underlying the optical responses of nanoscale systems and uses this
knowledge to explain their behavior, which is very different to what is
encountered on the macroscopic scale. In the first three chapters, the authors
discuss important aspects of wave optics on surfaces and at small scales, such
as the optical interference near surfaces, the physical origin of the index of
refraction, and how imaging optical fields can be used to enhance resolution in
optical diffraction microscopy. The last two chapters treat a concept on the
consequence of the finite size of the focal spot in optical spectroscopy and
how the index of refraction can be related to scattering of an ensemble of
discrete scatterers. The concepts described here are important to understanding
the optical properties of nanoparticles or nanostructured surfaces and are not
covered in most fundamental optics courses. This book is designed for
researchers and graduate students looking for an introduction to optics at
small scales.