Book excerpt: Optical coatings found in almost all optical instruments and devices are frequently the ultimate determinants of performance. This text is a rigorous review of the theory, manufacture and use of thin-film coatings, ranging from basic electromagnetic ideas to the operation of coating plants. The book collects data from a wide range of sources and will provide a useful introductory text for graduates in physics, optics and electrical engineering, technicians and specialists in optics, aerospace and the scientific instrument industry, newcomers to the field, and an invaluable reference for the wide range of specialists using thin-film coatings. This edition is a complete revision of the first, containing much new material and now using SI units.