Complex photonics : fundamentals, spin glasses, and optical computing / Claudio Conti

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Conti, Claudio (Physicist), author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Optics--Mathematics.

Optics.

Photonics.

Statistical mechanics.

Spin glasses.

Ising model.

Physical Description:

1 online resource : illustrations (black and white)

black and white

illustrations

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2026

Summary:

"Driven by advances in data science and machine learning, photonics has evolved rapidly in recent years and has transformed into a highly interdisciplinary field, connecting fundamental research with cutting-edge applications. Inspired by recent Nobel Prizes in Physics in 2021 and 2024, Conti highlights the interplay between photonics and spin glasses, a key concept for understanding the link between photon propagation and complex systems. Beginning with a study of black-body radiation, the book then revisits laser theory using techniques from non-equilibrium statistical mechanics. Through a step-by-step exploration of important photonic experiments, it bridges foundational concepts and advances in optical computing, with a focus on developing efficient hardware for classical and quantum artificial intelligence. This reveals the profound ties between complexity, photonics, and the future of AI technologies. The book will be a valuable resource for advanced undergraduate and graduate students and more practised researchers"-- Cambridge Core

Contents:

From Max Planck to machine learning

Elements of linear optics

Green's functions

Rays

Photon fluid transport

Light diffusion

Diffusive random lasers

Spin glass theory and replica symmetry breaking

Modes and fluctuations in lasers

Photonic spin glass

Photonic spin glass theory

Photonic spin glass experiments

Focusing in random media and transmission matrices

The spatial Ising machine

The parametron and the coherent Ising machine

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and indexes

Online resource; title from PDF title page (Cambridge Core, viewed July 22, 2026)

Other Format:

Print version: Conti, Claudio (Physicist) Complex photonics

ISBN:

9781316275207

1316275205

OCLC:

1604710396

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license