Visible light has an inescapable presence all around us. We have generated light from prehistoric times using a variety of techniques. In modern times, we mainly produce illumination through electrical means. There are interesting historic anecdotes and fascinating scientific facts behind the various modern techniques for generating light.

This book attempts to describe the stories and technologies related to many light sources — some common, some less so. Described in a more-or-less chronological fashion, the book looks at developments from Edison and Swan's invention of the incandescent lamp, through lasers, to LEDs, and more. While the main focus is on sources of visible light, a number of devices that produce invisible radiation are also covered for the sake of completeness.

The book provides a holistic view of common and uncommon light sources from both historic and technical perspectives, to help readers place more modern developments in the context of what came before, and how. This book will be of benefit to all who are interested in optical sciences, especially in the generation, detection or use of electromagnetic radiation.

Contents:

• Preface


• About the Author


• The Nature and Properties of Light


• Incandescent Lamps


• Electric Discharge Lamps


• Plasma Light Sources


• Light-Emitting Diodes


• Lasers


• Laser-Based Lighting Systems


• Other Light Sources


• Index

Readership: Undergraduate/graduate students and faculty of Physics, Electrical Engineering, Civil Engineering, and Built Environment, Illumination engineers. Lighting designers, Optical and photonic scientists and engineers involved with product design and manufacturing in consumer and industrial sectors as well as in defense and semiconductor industries.

Key Features:

• Very wide coverage of both history and science of light sources


• Includes many hard-to-find accounts of how various developments came to be


• Contains many illustrations of great historic interest


• Describes the science and technology behind a variety of radiation sources


• Brings readers to the forefronts of scientific developments in solid-state lighting


• Written in an interesting and engaging style — accessible, in most parts, to everyone from high school students to practicing scientists