Credit Hours: 1 hour, 2 hours seat time
Corequisite: OSE 4520, PR OSE 3052
Course Overview
This is a laboratory course that is designed to give students hands-on experience in aligning, characterizing and analyzing lasers and generally understanding the principle of the laser. Students will work in small teams performing to build small lasers and laser systems in order to gain experience in building lasers, understanding the various types of output they can deliver and manipulating and applying laser beams. Through these experimental projects, students are introduced to most of the major concepts covered in the course, including: photons; emission; laser cavities and modes; laser threshold; laser beams, focusing and collimation; and second harmonic generation.
Course Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Align a basic laser cavity.
- Know how to make a laser run on a single transverse mod
- Characterize a laser beam
- Know how to measure laser power and determine laser irradiance
- Explain the difference between single and multiple spatial modes lasers and know how to approach focusing and collimation in each case.
- Measure the spectral output of a laser.
- Explain laser diode-pumping and intracavity second harmonic generation