As its subtitle implies, this book—volume 65 in the Progress in Optics series—pays tribute to Emil Wolf, who passed away in 2018.
The opening chapter is a poignant tribute from his son Bruno Wolf. This is followed by an intriguing contribution from Michael Berry describing Wolf’s early scientific life in Bristol, U.K.
Arguably, however, the real tribute to Wolf’s legacy is the longevity of this remarkable book series. It is salutary that so many distinguished physicists offer their services to maintain the quality and breadth which is the hallmark of Progress in Optics, a series of books edited by Wolf himself. Thus, in this volume, Girish Agarwal and Anton Classen survey the continuing impact of Wolf’s work on partial coherence. The remaining six chapters allow contributors from Canada, China, Europe and the United States to offer thoughtful commentaries on a range of key topics including optical coherence, optical measurements and acousto-optic imaging.
On the basis of this volume, one may confidently expect that the legacy of Emil Wolf will be sustained for many years to come.
Review by K Alan Shore, Bangor University, School of Electronic Engineering, Wales, U.K.
The opinions expressed in the book review section are those of the reviewer and do not necessarily reflect those of OPN or OSA.