The Story of Light Science: From Early Theories to Today's Extraordinary Applications

Emergent Theories of Light and Measurements of Light Speed.- Light as an Electromagnetic Wave.- Light and its Application to Relativity.- The Quantum Nature of Light.- Natural and Artificial Sources of Light.- Laser Light.- Variation and Control of Light Propagation Properties.- Quantum Mechanics of the Photon.- Quantum Applications of the Photon.- Light and the Cosmos.- Lorentz contraction of a modern spacecraft.- A derivation of E = mc 2 .- Time dilation and muon lifetime calculations.- Derivation of Wien's displacement law from Planck's law.- Combustion-based light sources.- Multiple-laser white light illumination.- Circuit model calculations for Deutsch's algorithm.- Timeline of some notable Achievements in Light Science.- A Selection of Additional Readings.