Entropy and information optics
Francis T. S. Yu · Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE · 2000
In this paper we shall begin our discussion with the relationship between optics and humans, in which we see that light has indeed provided us with a very valuable source of information. A general optical communication concept is discussed, in which we see that a picture is indeed worth more than a thousand words. Based on Shannon's information theory, one can show that entropy and information can be simply traded. One of the most intriguing laws of thermodynamics must be the second law, in which we have found that there exists a profound relationship between the physical entropy and information. Without this relationship, information theory would be totally useless in physical science. By applying this relationship, Maxwell and diffraction-limited demons are discussed. And finally, samples of information optics are provided.