This two-volume book provides an enriching insight into the laser, covering different types of lasers, the basic science behind the technology, their role at the cutting-edge of current scientific research, and their wide-ranging applications. With just high school physics as a prerequisite and favoring qualitative yet scientifically sound explanations over high-level mathematics, this book is aimed at a broad spectrum of readers in physics, chemistry, engineering, medicine, and biology. Its engaging and lucid presentation is enhanced with plenty of illustrations, making the world of the laser accessible to undergraduate students in the sciences and any other inquisitive readers with high school physics under their belts. Furthermore, the text is often laced with anecdotes, picked from history, that are bound to pique the minds of the readers. It is ideal for self-study or as a complement to courses on optics and optoelectronics.
This volume, Part 1 of 2, explains the fundamentals of optics, what a laser is, how it works, and what is unique about the light it emits, from fundamental quantum theory through population inversion and cavity to common laser types.
It is followed by Part 2 which depicts the many advances in science enabled by the laser, including spectroscopy, nonlinear optics, optical cooling and trapping, and optical tweezers, among many others, and provides a glimpse into the ways that the laser affects our lives via its uses in medicine, manufacturing, the nuclear industry, energy, defence, communication, ranging, pollution monitoring, art conservation, fashion, beauty, and entertainment.
Author(s): Dhruba J. Biswas
Series: Undergraduate Lecture Notes in Physics
Publisher: Springer
Year: 2023
Language: English
Pages: 330
City: Cham
Preface
Acknowledgments
Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Behavior of Light
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Fathoming Light: A Historical Glimpse
2.3 Rectilinear Propagation of Light
2.3.1 Reflection of Light
2.3.1.1 Retroreflection of Light
2.3.2 Refraction of Light
2.3.2.1 Total Internal Reflection of Light
2.3.2.2 Dispersion of Light
2.4 Young´s Double Slit Experiment and the Wave Nature of Light
2.4.1 Double Slit Experiment and the Correlation of Wavelength of Light to Its Color
2.5 Interference of Light and Visibility of Fringes
2.5.1 Tailoring the Reflectivity of a Mirror by Combining the Principle of Interference with Physics of Thin Film
2.6 Diffraction of Light
2.6.1 Single Slit Diffraction of Light
2.7 Scattering of Light
2.8 Polarization of Light
2.8.1 Brewster Angle and Linearly Polarized Light
Chapter 3: Quantization of Energy
3.1 Introduction
3.2 A Bound Particle and Discretization of Its Energy
3.3 Spectral Emission from an Atomic Source
3.4 Bohr´s Atom and Beyond: A Unique Handshake Between Matter and Radiation, the Two Faces of Nature
3.5 Boltzmann Distribution
Chapter 4: Lasers: At a Glance
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Working of a Conventional Fluorescent Light
4.2.1 Is It Possible to Force an Excited Atom to Emit Photon in a Particular Direction?
4.3 Spontaneous and Stimulated Emissions
4.4 Population Inversion and Amplification of Light
4.5 A Simple Cavity
4.6 Maiman´s Experiment: Invention of Laser
4.7 Spectral Narrowing: A Signature of Laser
Chapter 5: Population Inversion and Consideration of Energy Levels of a Lasing Medium
5.1 Introduction
5.2 The Centrality of Population Inversion in the Context of a Laser
5.2.1 Population Inversion: A State of Negative Temperature
5.2.2 Population Inversion: Methods of Creation
5.2.2.1 Optical Pumping
5.2.2.2 Electrical Pumping
5.2.2.3 Other Pumping Schemes
5.2.3 Population Inversion Vis-à-Vis Number of Participating Energy Levels in the Process of Lasing
5.2.3.1 Two-Level System
5.2.3.2 Three-Level System
5.2.3.3 Four-Level System
Chapter 6: Cavity and Its Bearing on the Operation of Lasers
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Laser: An Amalgamation of Cavity and Population Inversion
6.3 The Cavity: A Deeper Insight
6.3.1 Cavity Linewidth
6.4 Integration of Cavity and Stimulated Emission
6.5 Single Mode Lasing
6.6 Spectral Narrowing Effect and the Purity of Laser Light
6.7 On the Stability of a Cavity
6.8 Geometry of the Reflective Surface, Intracavity Wave Front, and Gaussian Beam
6.9 Longitudinal and Transverse Modes
6.10 Unstable Cavity
6.11 Cavity and Properties of Laser
Chapter 7: Continuous and Pulsed Lasers
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Limitations of CW Lasers
7.3 Pulsing the Laser: A Possible Remedy
7.4 The Maximum Achievable Power from a Conventional Pulsed Laser
7.5 Continuous and Pulsed Pumping of a Laser
7.5.1 Optical Pumping
7.5.1.1 Optical Pumping by a Conventional Source
7.5.1.1.1 cw Lasers
7.5.1.1.2 Pulsed Lasers
7.5.1.2 Optical Pumping by a Laser
7.5.1.2.1 Manufacturing Polarized Light from a Laser
7.5.1.2.2 Optical Pumping by a Linearly Polarized Laser
7.5.2 Electrical Pumping
7.5.2.1 cw Lasers
7.5.2.2 Pulsed Lasers
7.6 Operating Efficiency of cw and Pulsed Lasers
7.6.1 cw Lasers
7.6.2 Pulsed Lasers
7.6.2.1 Repetitive Operation
7.6.2.2 Single Shot Operation
Chapter 8: Broadening of Gain and Its Bearing on the Laser Subtleties
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Nature of Gain Broadening
8.2.1 Homogeneous Gain Broadening
8.2.2 Inhomogeneous Gain Broadening
8.3 Gain Clamping
8.4 Homogeneously Broadened Laser and Spatial Hole Burning
8.5 Homogeneously Broadened Ring Cavity Laser
8.6 Inhomogeneously Broadened Laser and Spectral Hole Burning
8.7 Spectral Hole Burning and Lamb Dip
8.8 Lamb Dip and Frequency Stabilization of Gas Lasers
8.9 Inverse Lamb Dip and Stabilizing a Laser Away from the Line Center
Chapter 9: Boosting the Performance of a Pulsed Laser
9.1 Introduction
9.2 Q-Switching
9.2.1 Q-Switching Techniques
9.2.1.1 Active Q-Switching
9.2.1.1.1 Mechanical Q-Switches
9.2.1.1.2 Acousto-Optic Q-Switches
9.2.1.1.3 Electro-Optic Effect and Birefringence vis-à-vis Q-Switching
9.2.1.1.3.1 Pockels Cell as a Light Switching Device
9.2.1.1.3.2 Electro-Optic Q-Switches
9.2.1.2 Passive Q-Switching
9.2.1.2.1 Working of a Saturable Absorber
9.2.1.2.2 Q-Switching with a Saturable Absorber
9.3 Cavity Dumping
9.3.1 Cavity Dumping with Electro-Optic Switch
9.3.2 Partial Cavity Dumping with Acousto-Optic Switch
9.4 Modelocking
9.4.1 Active Modelocking
9.4.1.1 Modelocking with Electro-Optic Switches
9.4.1.2 Modelocking with Acousto-Optic Switches
9.4.2 Passive Modelocking
9.4.2.1 Saturable Absorber: Modelocking of a Linear Cavity Laser
9.4.2.2 Saturable Absorber: Colliding Pulse Modelocking of a Ring Cavity Laser
9.5 Chirped Pulse Amplification vis-à-vis Manufacturing Extreme Light
Chapter 10: Different Types of Lasers
10.1 Introduction
10.2 Gas Lasers
10.2.1 Atomic Gas Lasers
10.2.1.1 Helium-Neon Lasers
10.2.2 Ion Lasers
10.2.2.1 Argon Ion Lasers
10.3 Liquid Lasers
10.3.1 Dye Lasers
10.3.1.1 Dye Laser Pumping
10.3.1.2 Working of a Dye Laser
10.4 Solid-State Lasers
10.4.1 Lamp Pumping
10.4.2 Diode Pumping
10.4.2.1 End Pumping
10.4.2.2 Side Pumping
10.4.3 Tunable Solid-State Lasers
10.4.3.1 Titanium Sapphire Lasers
10.5 Free Electron Lasers
10.5.1 Working Principle
10.5.2 Tunability of Emission
10.5.3 Spectral Broadening of the Emission
10.5.4 Construction and Operation
10.6 Excimer Lasers
10.6.1 The Basic Physics of an Excimer Laser
10.6.2 Operation of a Noble Gas Halide Laser
10.7 Chemical Lasers
10.7.1 Hydrogen Fluoride (HF) Lasers
10.7.2 Chemical Oxygen Iodine Lasers (COIL)
10.8 Gas Dynamic Lasers
10.8.1 CO2 Gas Dynamic Lasers
10.9 Fiber Lasers
10.9.1 End Pumping of a Fiber Laser and the Confinement of Light
10.9.2 The Active Species in a Fiber Laser
10.9.3 The Pumping of a Fiber and Its Lasing
10.9.4 Scaling up the Fiber Laser Power: Problems and Remedies
10.9.5 The Fiber Amplifier
Chapter 11: Molecular Gas Lasers
11.1 Introduction
11.2 Basics of Molecular Spectroscopy
11.2.1 Vibration-Rotation Spectra
11.3 Carbon Dioxide Lasers
11.3.1 Energy Level Representation of the Operation of a CO2 Laser
11.3.2 Low-Pressure CO2 Lasers, Longitudinal Pumping, and cw Operation
11.3.2.1 Power Scaling of cw CO2 Lasers with Longitudinal Gas Flow
11.3.2.2 Power Scaling of cw CO2 Lasers with Transverse Gas Flow
11.3.3 High-Pressure CO2 Lasers, Transverse Pumping, and Pulsed Operation
11.3.4 Spectral Features of CO2 Laser Emission
11.3.4.1 SLM Emission from a Hybrid CO2 Laser
11.3.4.2 SLM Emission from a Ring Cavity CO2 Laser
11.3.4.3 Tunable Emission from a CO2 Laser
11.3.4.3.1 A Prism or a Grating as a Dispersive Element
11.3.4.3.2 Inability of a Conventional Grating to Perform as a Laser Cavity Tuning Element
11.3.4.3.3 A Blazed Grating: An Ideal Laser Cavity Tuning Element
11.3.4.3.4 A Blazed Grating Tuned Operation of a CO2 Laser
Chapter 12: Semiconductor Lasers
12.1 Introduction
12.2 Basics of Semiconductor Physics
12.3 Impurity Semiconductors
12.4 N-Type and P-Type Semiconductors
12.5 Semiconductor Diodes
12.6 Light Emitting Diodes (LED)
12.7 Diode Lasers
12.8 Homojunction Diode Lasers
12.9 Heterojunction Diode Lasers
12.10 Quantum Well Lasers
12.11 Quantum Cascade Lasers
12.12 Edge and Surface Emitting Diode Lasers
12.13 Laser Diode Arrays: From Watts to Kilowatts
12.14 Appendix
References
Index
