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RP Photonics Encyclopedia

Since 2004, RP Photonics maintains the RP Photonics Encyclopedia (formerly named the Encyclopedia of Laser Physics and Technology) as a part of its website. Every line has been authored by Dr. Paschotta, the founder and executive of RP Photonics.

Enter the Online Encyclopedia

This project is a true success story, as it serves various parties in many ways:

cover of the Encyclopedia of Laser Physics and Technology
  • The readers, consisting to a large part of industry people and researchers, enjoy the opportunity to quickly learn a lot on different topics without paying for this service and without going through any process of registering their information.
  • A considerable number of users realizes that this resource is provided by RP Photonics, where more specialized consulting services are also available. In fact, the majority of new consulting customers learned about RP Photonics and its technical expertise that way.
  • Due to its truly dominating position on search engine result pages (e.g. on those by Google), and also because of the many satisfied users who regularly use this resource, the encyclopedia is receiving a large and still growing number of visitors. This aspect also made the encyclopedia very interesting as a tool for advertising photonics products.

Print Version

In October 2008, the encyclopedia has been published via Wiley-VCH as a print version. It is no longer available.

Various Tools

The encyclopedia is equipped with various useful tools:

  • Most articles are assigned to one or several topical categories, listed at the bottom of the article page. It can be useful to browse the category listings.
  • Most articles begin with a definition of the article keyword. Recently, a glossary was created which contains all these definitions. You can also reach that page by clicking on the word “Definition” before such a definition in an article.
  • The Photonics Spotlight is a blog which regularly presents additional information in the context of encyclopedia articles.
  • There is a feedback form, encouraging users to send their suggestions and comments.

The Spirit

Both the encyclopedia's content and the way it is provided tell people about the spirit of RP Photonics:

  • Be precise with the details and put them into a clear perspective.
  • Address the issues of great practical importance. Details which are too specific to be useful for many are better omitted.
  • Do all to create the maximum value for all the users, and don't worry about immediate returns.

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