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OSE5525 - Laser Engineering

OSE5525_banner 6-2020

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

  • 3 hours

Prerequisite

  • Graduate standing or consent of instructor

Required References

  • Svelto “Principles of Lasers” 5th Ed., Springer

Suggested References

  1. Verdeyen “Laser Electronics” 3rd ed., Prentice Hall
  2. Silfvast “Laser Fundamentals” Cambridge UP

Course Outline

  1. Introduction, History, Properties of Laser Light
  2. Blackbody Radiation, Planck’s Theorem
  3. Absorption, Spontaneous & Stimulated Emission
  4. Line Broadening Mechanisms, Non-radiative transitions, degenerate levels,
  5. Saturation – Homogeneous and Inhomogeneous lines: Fluorescence – Radiation trapping, Amplified Spontaneous Emission
  6. Molecules
  7. Bulk Semiconductors
  8. Semiconductor Quantum Wells
  9. Matrix Formulation of Geometrical Optics: Reflection and transmission at an interface
  10. Fabry-Perot Interferometer: Diffraction in the Parametric Approximation
  11. Gaussian Beams, modes: ABCD matrices
  12. Properties of Resonators
  13. Stable resonators Unstable resonators
  14. Incoherent Light pumping
  15. Laser pumping: laser diode pumping
  16. Electric Pumping
  17. Rate Equations
  18. Threshold conditions : 3 and 4 level systems
  19. Single mode selection
  20. Relaxation Oscillations
  21. Q-Switching
  22. Mode-locking and Ultra-fast lasers
  23. Crystal lasers
  24. Glass and fiber lasers
  25. Semiconductor lasers: Homo-junction lasers, Double Hetero-junction lasers
  26. Quantum Well lasers ,VSEL’s
  27. HeNe, CO2 and Excimer Lasers

Syllabi