Oxford Master Series in Condensed Matter Physics: Optical Properties of Solids

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The second edition of this successful textbook offers a contemporary overview of the optical physics of solid-state materials. It covers fundamental principles such as absorption, reflection, luminescence, and light scattering across various materials, including insulators, semiconductors, and metals. The text begins with classical optics, progressing to quantum theory's treatment of optical transition rates. It addresses not only crystalline materials but also glasses and molecular solids. The first edition presented subjects often overlooked in standard texts, such as semiconductor quantum wells, molecular materials, vibronic solid-state lasers, and nonlinear optics. While the overall structure remains consistent, all chapters have been updated and improved, with the addition of significant new topics, including optical control of spin, quantum dots, plasmonics, negative refraction, and carbon nanostructures (graphene, nanotubes, and fullerenes), as well as NV centers in diamond. Targeted at final-year undergraduates, master's students, and researchers, the text is primarily for physicists but also serves electrical engineers, materials scientists, and physical chemists. The material is presented in a clear tutorial style, featuring worked examples, chapter summaries, and exercises, with a solutions manual available for instructors.