Lock-in amplifiers: principles and applications (e-edition)
Introduction
It is now over thirty years since Lock-in amplifiers: principles and applications was first published. In the intervening period it has become established as a minor classic, being amongst the most widely cited text books of its kind. Remarkably, despite a lapse of almost 25 years since the final printing, there is continuing interest and regular requests from researchers and students seeking a copy – hence the decision to create an 'authorised' electronic version and make it freely available. Unlike the PDF held by Google Books (and numerous plagiarised versions circulating elsewhere) this e-edition has been newly compiled from the original typescript and diagrams. No apologies are offered for leaving the content substantially the same as before, with no extensive revisions or additions. This reflects the view that, while there have been significant developments in the technology and implementation of lock-in systems, the greater part of the book, dealing with principles and guides to good practice, remains valid and useful. Although there is no new material, time has been spent in correcting obvious mistakes and in improving the type-setting of equations which was less than satisfactory in the printed edition. There is, of course, the danger that this reworking is prone to fresh errors and, here, the author is fully prepared to amend and reissue any pages where errors are reported.
Please report comments, errors and omissions to meadelockins@gmail.com
The author
Mike Meade graduated from Manchester University, UK, in 1964 and worked for a short spell as a microwave engineer in the defence industry. He then turned to university research and completed his PhD under the supervision of Prof. Eric Faulkner, co-founder and technical director of Brookdeal Electronics Ltd., at that time the pre-eminent European company in the field of signal-recovery instrumentation. Mike later joined Brookdeal and worked with the company throughout the 1970s, first as Senior Electronics Engineer and then as Technical Manager, responsible for the technical support operation in Europe, commissioning laboratory installations and running seminars on photon counting and signal recovery techniques. Lock-in amplifiers was published shortly after he took up a lecturing post at the UK Open University. In a university career spanning over thirty years Mike chaired and contributed to numerous distance-teaching courses in mainstream electronics and engineering while serving several terms as Head of the Electronics Department and Dean of Faculty.
