Complex Photonics
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- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
- Publication date:
- 26 June 2026
- 23 July 2026
- ISBN:
- 9781316275207
- 9781107110526
- Dimensions:
- (254 x 178 mm)
- Weight & Pages:
- 0.906kg, 366 Pages
- Dimensions:
- Weight & Pages:
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Book description
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.
Reviews
‘Claudio Conti has accomplished something genuinely rare: a coherent, rigorous bridge between modern photonics and the statistical mechanics of disordered systems. Tracing a path from black-body radiation through random lasers and replica symmetry breaking to coherent Ising machines, the book illuminates how light has become both a testbed for spin glass theory and a platform for the next generation of computing hardware. It will be invaluable to graduate students and researchers seeking entry into one of the most exciting interdisciplinary frontiers in physics today.’
Riccardo Sapienza - Imperial College London
‘This book is about Conti’s work on Optical Ising Machines (Part III in the book), with Parts I and II being very clear descriptions of the foundations for what is discussed in Part III. My expertise is in optics and I found the introductory description in Part I to be excellent. The book is clearly aimed at the relatively narrow group of researchers working on nonlinear optimization using optics. The field has gathered a lot of momentum recently. If the field flourishes, then this book will likely be a must-have for those in the field. The clarity of presentation and its end-to-end coherence make the book also useful for researchers entering the field. All in all, this is a high-quality manuscript that will be well received by the experts in the field and will be highly cited if the field grows.’
Demetri Psaltis - École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Contents
Contents
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1 - From Max Planck to Machine Learning
pp 3-33 -
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