Principles of Lasers
Published on 6. December 2012
XVI, 374 pages
978-1-4615-7667-9 (ISBN)
Description
This second edition, appearing about twenty years after the discovery of the laser is a substantially revised version of the first edition. It is, like the first, aimed at both classroom teaching and self-study by technical personnel interested in learning the principles of laser operation. In preparing the second edition the hope has been that both these aims will be better served as a result of the various improvements made. The main changes have been made with the following aims in mind: (i) To update the book. Thus new topics have been added (in particular on various new types of lasers, e. g. , rare-gas-halide excimer lasers, color-center lasers, and free-electron lasers), while on the other hand some topics have been given less emphasis (again this applies particularly to some types of lasers, e. g. , the ruby laser). Updating is especially important in the area of laser applications, and the chapter on this topic has therefore been com pletely rewritten. (ii) To make some improvements to the logical consis tency of the book by rearranging material and adding new material. Thus a few topics have been moved from one section to another and a new chapter entitled Laser Beam Transformation has been added. (iii) To further reduce the mathematical content, placing greater emphasis on physical descrip tions of phenomena.
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Orazio Svelto
Principles of Lasers
Book
12/1995
2nd Edition
Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers
€109.13
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Content
1 Introductory Concepts.- 1.1 Spontaneous and Stimulated Emission, Absorption.- 1.2 The Laser Idea.- 1.3 Pumping Schemes.- 1.4 Properties of Laser Beams.- Problems.- 2 Interaction of Radiation with Matter.- 2.1 Summary of Blackbody Radiation Theory.- 2.2 Absorption and Stimulated Emission.- 2.3 Spontaneous Emission.- 2.4 Nonradiative Decay.- 2.5 Line Broadening Mechanisms.- 2.6 Saturation.- 2.7 Degenerate Levels.- 2.8 Relation between Cross Section and Spontaneous Radiative Lifetime.- 2.9 Molecular Systems.- Problems.- References.- 3 Pumping Processes.- 3.1 Introduction.- 3.2 Optical Pumping.- 3.3 Electrical Pumping.- Problems.- References.- 4 Passive Optical Resonators.- 4.1 Introduction.- 4.2 Plane-Parallel Resonator.- 4.3 Confocal Resonator.- 4.4 Generalized Spherical Resonator.- 4.5 Unstable Resonators.- Problems.- References.- 5 Continuous Wave and Transient Laser Behavior.- 5.1 Introduction.- 5.2 Rate Equations.- 5.3 CW Laser Behavior.- 5.4 Transient Laser Behavior.- 5 5 Limits to the Rate Equations.- Problems.- References.- 6 Types of Lasers.- 6.1 Introduction.- 6.2 Solid-State Lasers.- 6.3 Gas Lasers.- 6.4 Liquid Lasers (Dye Lasers).- 6.5 Chemical Lasers.- 6.6 Semiconductor Lasers.- 6.7 Color-Center Lasers.- 6.8 The Free-Electron Laser.- 6.9 Summary of Performance Data.- Problems.- References.- 7 Properties of Laser Beams.- 7.1 Introduction.- 7.2 Monochromaticity.- 7.3 First-Order Coherence.- 7.4 Directionality.- 7.5 Laser Speckle.- 7.6 Brightness.- 7.7 Higher-Order Coherence.- Problems.- References.- 8 Laser Beam Transformation.- 8.1 Introduction.- 8.2 Transformation in Space. Gaussian Beam Propagation.- 8.3 Transformation in Amplitude: Laser Amplification.- 8.4 Transformation in Frequency: Second-Harmonic Generation and Parametric Oscillation.- Problems.- References.- 9 Applications of Lasers.- 9.1 Introduction.- 9.2 Applications in Physics and Chemistry.- 9.3 Applications in Biology and Medicine.- 9.4 Material Working.- 9.5 Optical Communications.- 9.6 Measurement and Inspection.- 9.7 Thermonuclear Fusion.- 9.8 Information Processing and Recording.- 9.9 Military Applications.- 9.10 Holography.- 9.11 Concluding Remarks.- References.- Appendixes.- A Space-Dependent Rate Equations.- B Physical Constants.- Answers to Selected Problems.
