This book describes the recently-discovered artificially curved light beam known as the photonic hook. Self-bending of light, a long-time goal of optical scientists, was realized in 2007 with the Airy beam, followed by the first demonstration of the photonic hook by the authors of this book and their collaborators in 2015 and experimentally in 2019. The photonic hook has curvature less than the wavelength, along with other unique features described in this book that are not shared by Airy-like beams, and so deepens our understanding of light propagation. This book discusses the general principles of artificial near-field structured curved light and the full-wave simulations of the photonic hook along with their experimental confirmation. The book goes on to show how the photonic hook has implications for acoustic and surface plasmon waves and as well as applications in nanoparticle manipulation.

Igor V. Minin received M.S. in Physics, Novosibirsk State University, Russia (1982) and the Ph.D. degree in radio-physics including quantum physics from the Leningrad Electro-Technical University, Russia, in 1986 and the D.Sc. (Hub) degree in calculation experiment technology and microwave antennas from the Novosibirsk State Technical University, Russia, in 2004. He is a corr-member of the Russian Metrology academy.
He has been an Invited Lecturer at several universities and institutions, co-chairman of several IEEE and SPIE conferences and symposiums. He was with the Novosibirsk State Technical University, Russia from 2001 to 2006, as a Full Professor at the Department of Information Protection. Now Igor Minin is a full professor with the Tomsk Polytechnic University, Russia. 
Minin I.V. is a Federal expert of the Russian Government committee in the scientific field (2014-to present).

Oleg V. Minin received M.S. in Physics, Novosibirsk State University, Russia (1982) and the Ph.D. degree in radio-physics including quantum physics from the Institute of Atmosphere Optics, Tomsk, Russia, in 1986 and the D.Sc. (Hub) degree in optics and microwave antennas from the Novosibirsk State Technical University, Russia, in 2004. He is a corr-member of the Russian Metrology academy. He has been an Invited Lecturer at several universities and institutions, co-chairman of several IEEE and SPIE conferences and symposiums. He was with the Novosibirsk State Technical University, Russia from 2001 to 2006, as a Full Professor at the Department of Information Protection. Now Oleg Minin is a full professor with the Tomsk Polytechnic University, Russia. 

In the field of diffractive optics of millimeter/THz wave Professors I.V.Minin and O.V.Minin achieved a number of pioneering results. They are the world leading authority on 3D diffractive focusing elements. In particular, they for thefirst time observed 3D subwavelength resolution for diffractive optics with focal distances less wavelength.

Profs. Minin introduced 3D real time quasioptical radio vision system for detection of hidden objects in millimeter/THz waves based on frequency properties of 3D diffractive optics and provided the first observations of the real-time images with quality equal to optical.
They discovered and studied the ablation and erosion process on hypervelocity flight of metal body in millimeter wave. Profs. Minin introduce a pulse plasma antenna, including explosive antenna in microwaves/millimeter waves.
Profs. Minin are the experts on sub-wavelength light concentration and super-resolution using the concept of 3D dielectric mesoscale Janus particles and discovered a new type of the near-field structured self-bending light both in transmitting and reflection modes. 

1. Optical Hook: Physical Principles and Key Parameters

2. Shaping Photonic Hook via Well-Controlled Illumination of Mesoscale Dielectric Particles

3. Acoustic Hook

4. In-Plane Surface Plasmon Hook

5. Reflection Mode Photonic Hook

6. Applications of Photonic Hook Effect for Nanoparticle Manipulation