Laser Physics

Although the basic principles of lasers have remained unchanged in the past 20 years, there has been a shift in the kinds of lasers generating interest. Providing a comprehensive introduction to the operating principles and applications of lasers, this second edition of the classic book on the subject reveals the latest developments and applications of lasers. Placing more emphasis on applications of lasers and on optical physics, the book's self-contained discussions will appeal to physicists, chemists, optical scientists, engineers, and advanced undergraduate students.

This textbook originates from a lecture course in laser physics at the Karlsruhe School of Optics and Photonics at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). A main goal in the conception of this textbook was to describe the fundamentals of lasers in a uniform and especially lab-oriented notation and formulation as well as many currently well-known laser types, becoming more and more important in the future. It closes a gap between the measureable spectroscopic quantities and the whole theoretical description and modeling. This textbook contains not only the fundamentals and the context of laser physics in a mathematical and methodical approach important for university-level studies. It allows simultaneously, owing to its conception and its modern notation, to directly implement and use the learned matter in the practical lab work. It is presented in a format suitable for everybody who wants not only to understand the fundamentals of lasers but also use modern lasers or even develop and make laser setups. This book tries to limit prerequisite knowledge and fundamental understanding to a minimum and is intended for students in physics, chemistry and mathematics after a bachelor degree, with the intention to create as much joy and interest as seen among the participants of the corresponding lectures. This university textbook describes in its first three chapters the fundamentals of lasers: light-matter interaction, the amplifying laser medium and the laser resonator. In the fourth chapter, pulse generation and related techniques are presented. The fifth chapter gives a closing overview on different laser types gaining importance currently and in the future. It also contains a set of examples on which the theory learned in the first four chapters is applied and extended.

This textbook originates from a lecture course in laser physics at the Karlsruhe School of Optics and Photonics at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). A main goal in the conception of this textbook was to describe the fundamentals of lasers in a uniform and especially lab-oriented notation and formulation as well as many currently well-known laser types, becoming more and more important in the future. It closes a gap between the measureable spectroscopic quantities and the whole theoretical description and modeling. This textbook contains not only the fundamentals and the context of laser physics in a mathematical and methodical approach important for university-level studies. It allows simultaneously, owing to its conception and its modern notation, to directly implement and use the learned matter in the practical lab work. It is presented in a format suitable for everybody who wants not only to understand the fundamentals of lasers but also use modern lasers or even develop and make laser setups. This book tries to limit prerequisite knowledge and fundamental understanding to a minimum and is intended for students in physics, chemistry and mathematics after a bachelor degree, with the intention to create as much joy and interest as seen among the participants of the corresponding lectures. This university textbook describes in its first three chapters the fundamentals of lasers: light-matter interaction, the amplifying laser medium and the laser resonator. In the fourth chapter, pulse generation and related techniques are presented. The fifth chapter gives a closing overview on different laser types gaining importance currently and in the future. It also contains a set of examples on which the theory learned in the first four chapters is applied and extended.

Although the basic principles of lasers have remained unchanged in the past 20 years, there has been a shift in the kinds of lasers generating interest. Providing a comprehensive introduction to the operating principles and applications of lasers, this second edition of the classic book on the subject reveals the latest developments and applications of lasers. Placing more emphasis on applications of lasers and on optical physics, the book's self-contained discussions will appeal to physicists, chemists, optical scientists, engineers, and advanced undergraduate students.

Although the basic principles of lasers have remained unchanged in the past 20 years, there has been a shift in the kinds of lasers generating interest. Providing a comprehensive introduction to the operating principles and applications of lasers, this second edition of the classic book on the subject reveals the latest developments and applications of lasers. Placing more emphasis on applications of lasers and on optical physics, the book's self-contained discussions will appeal to physicists, chemists, optical scientists, engineers, and advanced undergraduate students.

This book treats the interaction of radiation with matter, particular attention being paid to the laser. Knowledge is assumed of the usual half-year introduction of quantum mechanics found in undergraduate physics curricula. The material can be covered in two semesters, or, alternatively, the first part (Chaps 1-13) can be used as a one-semester course in which quantum mechanical aspects of the electromagnetic field are ignored. Each chapter is accompanied by problems that illustrate the text and give useful (occasionally new) results. Existing laser media are intrinsically quantum mechanical and are most easily studied with the quantum theory. Understanding the laser along these lines enlivens one's understanding of quantum mechanics itself. In fact, the material constitutes a viable, applied alternative for the usual second and third semesters of quantum mechanics.

This book treats the interaction of radiation with matter, particular attention being paid to the laser. Knowledge is assumed of the usual half-year introduction of quantum mechanics found in undergraduate physics curricula. The material can be covered in two semesters, or, alternatively, the first part (Chaps 1-13) can be used as a one-semester course in which quantum mechanical aspects of the electromagnetic field are ignored. Each chapter is accompanied by problems that illustrate the text and give useful (occasionally new) results. Existing laser media are intrinsically quantum mechanical and are most easily studied with the quantum theory. Understanding the laser along these lines enlivens one's understanding of quantum mechanics itself. In fact, the material constitutes a viable, applied alternative for the usual second and third semesters of quantum mechanics.