RP Photonics Encyclopedia

{{short description|Encyclopedia of laser technology and related areas}}

{{italic title}}

The RP Photonics Encyclopedia (formerly Encyclopedia of Laser Physics and Technology) is an encyclopedia of optics and optoelectronics, laser technology, optical fibers, nonlinear optics, optical communications, imaging science, optical metrology, spectroscopy and ultrashort pulse physics.{{Cite web |url=https://www.rp-photonics.com/encyclopedia.html |title=RP Photonics Encyclopedia |accessdate=12 February 2020}} It is available online as a free resource. An earlier version of the encyclopedia appeared as a two-volume book.{{cite book |title=Encyclopedia of Laser Physics and Technology |first=Rüdiger |last=Paschotta |edition=illustrated |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |year=2008 |isbn=978-3-527-40828-3}} {{As of|March 2024}}, the online version of the encyclopedia contains 1043 articles.

Since 2012, the encyclopedia is closely interlinked with the RP Photonics Buyer's Guide, a large directory of photonics product suppliers.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rp-photonics.com/buyersguide.html|title=RP Photonics Buyer's Guide|accessdate=12 February 2020|publisher=RP Photonics}} For the majority of products, there is a one-to-one correspondence between an encyclopedia article and a listing of suppliers for that product.

Other resources linked with the RP Photonics Encyclopedia are a blog named The Photonics Spotlight,{{Cite web|url=https://www.rp-photonics.com/spotlight.html|title=The Photonics Spotlight|accessdate=12 February 2020|publisher=RP Photonics}} a glossary of photonics terms and acronyms,{{Cite web|url=https://www.rp-photonics.com/glossary.html|title=Glosssary of Photonics Terms|accessdate=12 February 2020|publisher=RP Photonics}} various tutorials and case studies,{{Cite web|url=https://www.rp-photonics.com/tutorials.html|title=Free Tutorials and Case Studies from RP Photonics|accessdate=1 October 2024|publisher=RP Photonics}} and a photonics quiz.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rp-photonics.com/quiz.html|title=Photonics Quiz|accessdate=12 February 2020|publisher=RP Photonics}}

The author is Dr. Rüdiger Paschotta, founder and managing director of RP Photonics AG in Frauenfeld, Switzerland.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rp-photonics.com/company.html|title=The Company – Basic Facts|accessdate=5 March 2024|publisher=RP Photonics}}