Introduction To Laser Science And Engineering

Introduction to Laser Science and Engineering provides a modern resource for a first course in lasers for both students and professionals. Starting from simple descriptions, this text builds upon them to give a detailed modern physical understanding of the concepts behind light, optical beams and lasers. The coverage starts with the nature of light and the principles of photon absorption and transmission, leading to the amplified and stimulated emission principals governing lasers. The specifics of lasers and their application, safe use and future prospects are then covered, with a wealth of illustrations to provide readers with a visual sense of optical and laser principles.

Basics of Laser Physics provides an introductory presentation of the field of all types of lasers. It contains a general description of the laser, a theoretical treatment and a characterization of its operation as it deals with gas, solid state, free-electron and semiconductor lasers and, furthermore, with a few laser related topics. The different subjects are connected to each other by the central principle of the laser, namely, that it is a self-oscillating system. Special emphasis is put on a uniform treatment of gas and solid-state lasers, on the one hand, and semiconductor lasers, on the other hand. The discussions and the treatment of equations are presented in a way that a reader can immediately follow. The book addresses undergraduate and graduate students of science and engineering. Not only should it enable instructors to prepare their lectures, but it can be helpful to students for preparing for an examination.

Electrical Engineering Introduction to Laser Technology, Third Edition Would you like to know how a laser works, and how it can be modified for your own specific tasks? This intuitive third edition-previously published as Understanding Laser Technology, First and Second Editions-introduces engineers, scientists, technicians, and novices alike to the world of modern lasers, without delving into the mathematical details of quantum electronics. It is the only introductory text on the market today that explains the underlying physics and engineering applicable to all lasers. A unique combination of clarity and technical depth, this book begins with an introductory chapter that explains the characteristics and important applications of commercial lasers worldwide. It proceeds with discussions on light and optics, the fundamental elements of lasers, and laser modification. The concluding chapters are composed of a survey of modern lasers, including: Semiconductor lasers Optically pumped solid-state lasers Ion, HeNe, and HeCd lasers Carbon dioxide lasers Excimer lasers (codiscovered by J. J. Ewing) Ultrafast and tunable lasers, OPOs Introduction to Laser Technology, Third Edition is intended for those who are familiar with the principles of electro-optical technology, but possess limited formal training. This comprehensive treatment is essential, one-stop shopping for professionals, students, and non-engineer executives interested in the design, sales, or applications of the laser and electro-optics industry.

An introduction to lasers -- Stimulated emission -- The criterion for laser action -- Line shapes -- Saturation -- Laser photon densities -- Laser optical cavities -- Diode lasers -- Solid state impurity ion lasers -- The helium-neon laser -- Gas lasers -- Tunable lasers -- Nonlinear optics -- Topics in quantum optics

In a very short time, lasers advanced from research interest to increasingly useful, commercially available tools for material processing, precision measurements, surgery, communication, and even entertainment. This 1996 book provides the background in theoretical physics necessary to understand engineering applications. It summarises relevant theories of geometrical optics, physical optics, quantum optics, and laser physics and ties them to applications in such areas as fluid mechanics, combustion, surface analysis, material processing and laser machining. Advanced topics such as laser Doppler velocimetry, laser-induced fluorescence, and holography are clearly and thoroughly explained. The book includes numerous examples and homework problems. A unique feature is the advanced research problems in each chapter that simulate real-world research and encourage independent reading and analysis.

Introduction to Laser Science and Engineering provides a modern resource for a first course in lasers for both students and professionals. Starting from simple descriptions, this text builds upon them to give a detailed modern physical understanding of the concepts behind light, optical beams and lasers. The coverage starts with the nature of light and the principles of photon absorption and transmission, leading to the amplified and stimulated emission principals governing lasers. The specifics of lasers and their application, safe use and future prospects are then covered, with a wealth of illustrations to provide readers with a visual sense of optical and laser principles.

A textbook on lasers and optical engineering should include all aspects of lasers and optics; however, this is a large undertaking. The objective of this book is to give an introduction to the subject on a level such that under graduate students (mostly juniors/seniors), from disciplines like electrical engineering, physics, and optical engineering, can use the book. To achieve this goal, a lot of basic background material, central to the subject, has been covered in optics and laser physics. Students with an elementary knowledge of freshman physics and with no formal courses in electromagnetic theory should be able to follow the book, although for some sections, knowledge of electromagnetic theory, the Fourier transform, and linear systems would be highly beneficial. There are excellent books on optics, laser physics, and optical engineering. Actually, most of my knowledge was acquired through these. However, when I started teaching an undergraduate course in 1974, under the same heading as the title of this book, I had to use four books to cover the material I thought an electrical engineer needed for his introduction to the world of lasers and optical engineering. In my sabbatical year, 1980-1981, I started writing class notes for my students, so that they could get through the course by possibly buying only one book. Eventually, these notes grew with the help of my undergraduate and graduate students, and the final result is this book.

This text is designed to fill the gap between brief reviews of lasers provided in modern physical optics texts and the thorough, graduate-level texts on lasers an quantum mechanics. For those students who may not want to invest a substantial amount of their elective time in extensive course work in this area, it represents a reasonable alternative to a more lengthy treatment.