OSE5525 - Laser Engineering
Principles of laser amplification and oscillations; design of lasers; general characteristics of excitation systems.
Principles of laser amplification and oscillations; design of lasers; general characteristics of excitation systems.
This is a single semester course on Lasers. Although currently called “Laser Engineering” it is being renamed “Principals of Lasers” and is a new introductory course on lasers. It is suitable for students with backgrounds in physics, electrical engineering, chemistry and other disciplines who require a fundamental knowledge of lasers and how they operate. For students at the College of Optics it is considered the primary introductory laser course and is now part of the core curriculum. The course covers the basic physics of laser operation, and includes understandings of resonator theory, pulsed and continuous wave operation of lasers. Most popular lasers are described, as well as a pulsed techniques such as Q-switching, mode-locking and harmonic generation. The student is also introduced to the exciting types of new lasers being developed. After taking this course, students should be able to take more advanced courses in Lasers. It is the pre-requisite for the laboratory course, OSE 6526 Laser Laboratory.
Credit Hours
Prerequisite
- Graduate standing or consent of instructor
Required References
- Svelto “Principles of Lasers” 5th Ed., Springer
Suggested References
- Verdeyen “Laser Electronics” 3rd ed., Prentice Hall
- Silfvast “Laser Fundamentals” Cambridge UP
Course Outline
- Introduction, History, Properties of Laser Light
- Blackbody Radiation, Planck’s Theorem
- Absorption, Spontaneous & Stimulated Emission
- Line Broadening Mechanisms, Non-radiative transitions, degenerate levels,
- Saturation – Homogeneous and Inhomogeneous lines: Fluorescence – Radiation trapping, Amplified Spontaneous Emission
- Molecules
- Bulk Semiconductors
- Semiconductor Quantum Wells
- Matrix Formulation of Geometrical Optics: Reflection and transmission at an interface
- Fabry-Perot Interferometer: Diffraction in the Parametric Approximation
- Gaussian Beams, modes: ABCD matrices
- Properties of Resonators
- Stable resonators Unstable resonators
- Incoherent Light pumping
- Laser pumping: laser diode pumping
- Electric Pumping
- Rate Equations
- Threshold conditions : 3 and 4 level systems
- Single mode selection
- Relaxation Oscillations
- Q-Switching
- Mode-locking and Ultra-fast lasers
- Crystal lasers
- Glass and fiber lasers
- Semiconductor lasers: Homo-junction lasers, Double Hetero-junction lasers
- Quantum Well lasers ,VSEL’s
- HeNe, CO2 and Excimer Lasers
