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Abstract
Editor-in-Chief P. Scott Carney gives an update on JOSA A tutorials.
© 2017 Optical Society of America
Two years ago, we introduced a new, regularly occurring article type to JOSA A, the tutorial [1]. Since then, we have published 11 outstanding invited tutorial articles.
Writing a tutorial is no easy task. It requires a dedication to pedagogy and a love of the discipline from people who are otherwise engaged in the execution and dissemination of world-class research. I am grateful for each of these articles and the new perspectives I have gained from them. I hope you are too.
Our first tutorial [2] explored the route from wave theory to radiative transport by two means. The next [3] took us on a tour of inhomogeneous waves from the early days of wireless communication to modern nanooptics. The last tutorial of 2015 [4] provided us with a solid introduction to the exciting field of plenoptic imaging and the new directions and applications emerging from it.
In 2016 we featured five excellent tutorials. In the first [5], we explored the theories of homogenization that give rise to macroscopic permittivities for mixtures of microscopic components and are the central tools of effective medium theory. As part of our feature issue on single molecule imaging [6], we received a tutorial on an information theoretic approach to the subject of localization and parameter estimation [7]. Staying on the topic of information theory and Fisher information, we published a superb tutorial by a former JOSA A editor-in-chief and coauthor on characteristic functionals for image analysis [8]. We took a deep dive into the intersection of magnetic fields, ellipsometry, and semiconductor physics with an exciting tutorial on the optical Hall effect [9]. Finally, we wrapped up the year by returning to advanced topics in effective medium theory [10].
Our first tutorial of 2017 [11] came as part of our feature issue on synthetic aperture imaging in astronomy and aerospace [12] and provided a foundation in the physics and computational issues of image formation from interferometric data. It is a remarkable strength of JOSA A that we bring together people who solve integral equations and people who measure nerve activity. Our second tutorial of 2017, on the theory of color opponency from psychophysics to physiology [13], introduced me to a fascinating field in a completely engaging dialectic style. Most recently, a tutorial on the propagation of uncertainty in numerical modeling [14] walks us through examples and drives home the importance of uncertainty in a field that sometimes seems limited only by numerical precision.
We have a queue of tutorials on the way for 2018 and beyond. I hope you continue to value them as I do and keep coming back to JOSA A for great research, great discussions, and great tutorials.
Editor-in-Chief, JOSA A
University of Rochester
REFERENCES
1. F. Gori and P. S. Carney, “Introducing JOSA A tutorials: editorial,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 32, ED3 (2015). [CrossRef]
2. A. Cazé and J. C. Schotland, “Diagrammatic and asymptotic approaches to the origins of radiative transport theory: tutorial,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 32, 1475–1484 (2015). [CrossRef]
3. F. Frezza and N. Tedeschi, “Electromagnetic inhomogeneous waves at planar boundaries: tutorial,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 32, 1485–1501 (2015). [CrossRef]
4. E. Y. Lam, “Computational photography with plenoptic camera and light field capture: tutorial,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 32, 2021–2032 (2015). [CrossRef]
5. V. A. Markel, “Introduction to the Maxwell Garnett approximation: tutorial,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 33, 1244–1256 (2016). [CrossRef]
6. A. Ashok, R. Piestun, and S. Stallinga, “Single molecule image formation, reconstruction and processing: introduction,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 33, SMI1–SMI2 (2016). [CrossRef]
7. J. Chao, E. S. Ward, and R. J. Ober, “Fisher information theory for parameter estimation in single molecule microscopy: tutorial,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 33, B36–B57 (2016). [CrossRef]
8. E. Clarkson and H. H. Barrett, “Characteristic functionals in imaging and image-quality assessment: tutorial,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 33, 1464–1475 (2016). [CrossRef]
9. M. Schubert, P. Kühne, V. Darakchieva, and T. Hofmann, “Optical Hall effect—model description: tutorial,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 33, 1553–1568 (2016). [CrossRef]
10. V. A. Markel, “Maxwell Garnett approximation (advanced topics): tutorial,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 33, 2237–2255 (2016). [CrossRef]
11. É. Thiébaut and J. Young, “Principles of image reconstruction in optical interferometry: tutorial,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 34, 904–923 (2017). [CrossRef]
12. M. J. Creech-Eakman, P. S. Carney, D. F. Buscher, and M. Shao, “Synthetic aperture imaging in astronomy and aerospace: introduction,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 34, SAI1–SAI2 (2017). [CrossRef]
13. S. K. Shevell and P. R. Martin, “Color opponency: tutorial,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 34, 1099–1108 (2017). [CrossRef]
14. D. Barchiesi and T. Grosges, “Propagation of uncertainties and applications in numerical modeling: tutorial,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 34, 1602–1619 (2017). [CrossRef]